Ideas for Future Winterfest Events

[Winterfestguy]

Not sure if Island Smokehouse and Coconut Cove Cafe have heat (know they have AC but not sure about the heating capability - and then there also has to be heat in a few sets of restrooms). Think building heating may be the biggest investment cost issue with trying to expand Winterfest into Soak City. The tubing hill currently in Action Zone could be relocated to the wave pool similar to how Kentucky Kingdom has their sledding hill in their wave pool. Move the vendor booths around the Tower over to Soak City to create the village (which opens up the very congested area currently around the Tower) and perhaps move Santa from Rivertown over to Soak City, maybe in a temporary heated “tent”. Add some lights in the trees and a few large garland trees to complete the village. It would be exciting if the park could pull this off, but very doubtful considering budget and personnel cutbacks happening in the new Six Flags environment.
My biggest wish is that KI would bring back the KI singing penguin puppets to Winterfest 3.0 which were part of Santa’s  Toy Factory at the original Winterfest as well as in Winterfest 2.0 (then got dropped when Tinker’s Toy Factory took over for the now Winterfest 3.0) - they were always a hit with all the kids and even adults. They still may be around someplace in the theater in deep storage and their soundtrack is likely in the archives.
 

[SonofBaconator]

Just please do more to the train- it’s the most underwhelming part of all of winterfest when it comes to light displays.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

11 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

Just please do more to the train- it’s the most underwhelming part of all of winterfest when it comes to light displays.

Idk how possible this would be, but theming the train ride around "The Polar Express" would honestly be awesome if done right. Then have a stop in Soak City where that could be where kids could meet Santa and stuff like @Winterfestguy proposed above. 

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

I really like the idea of incorporating some of Soak City into Winterfest! There could be some issues with getting guests to go out there though. There was one year where The Great Pumpkin Fest (or some variation on the name) was held in Soak City, and it did not go well enough to warrant keeping the location for future events. Maybe it could work if there were less of a walk between the dry park and Soak City -- like how it is between Carowinds and Carolina Harbor -- but not really with the current layout. 

Having a much better train display should also be on the Winterfest priority list. I've heard that it used to be themed to "Home For The Holidays" back in either Winterfest 1.0 or 2.0, and that sounds like an awesome way to change things up a little! It apparently had some displays of soldiers and people coming home for Christmas with some other fun displays as well. Anything to make that loop a little more tolerable in the cold. Otherwise, just don't use it for Winterfest and turn it into a haunted train or trail maze for Haunt! It could even be a premium experience if the park wanted to cut down on crowds that would go for it.

[disco2000]

^The kids Halloween stuff was in Soak City for many years, not just one year, and was well received by guests...

While I love the ideas proposed, the same reasons they moved Halloween stuff back to main park would be an even bigger driver for Winterfest - how many million lights would they need to do so in Soak City so that people don't complain?  What about entertainment over there?  Do you remove lights from main park to place over at Soak City?

Never say never, but it seems unlikely Soak City will be used as they still have enough area to expand with in main area and better crowd control.

[SonofBaconator]

1 hour ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

Idk how possible this would be, but theming the train ride around "The Polar Express" would honestly be awesome if done right. Then have a stop in Soak City where that could be where kids could meet Santa and stuff like @Winterfestguy proposed above. 

I’m fine with just a generic holiday overlay, just please stop playing The 12 Days of Christmas on loop and put in more lights.

[BeeastFarmer]

I also doubt that Soak City would be a candidate for this treatment. At the rate things are going, either it would be: 1. So poorly done ( champagne taste on a beer budget) that it would be a joke, or 2. WinterFest is cancelled in total. 

From what I've heard, WinterFest was very beloved at Kings Dominion and we know what happened there. 

[SonofBaconator]

2 hours ago, BeeastFarmer said:

I also doubt that Soak City would be a candidate for this treatment. At the rate things are going, either it would be: 1. So poorly done ( champagne taste on a beer budget) that it would be a joke, or 2. WinterFest is cancelled in total. 

From what I've heard, WinterFest was very beloved at Kings Dominion and we know what happened there. 

I agree, I think we need to focus on improving what we have as opposed to adding on. 

[Skyrider]

Would love to see the old Shillitos Department store elves that they display in Mariemont each holiday season make it to Kings Island.  The full display would need to be in a large space indoors like the indoor maze some have mentioned and could end with the option of visiting with Santa.  It would be neat that this Cincinnati holiday history would be seen by more people by having it at WinterFest.