Ideas for a slightly longer season

[SonofBaconator]

I've had this idea in my head for a while so hear me out. Also this does not apply to the Covid-19, just whenever things get back to normal.

Imagine a November fall festival that takes place between Haunt and Winterfest. This event would be located in Soak City so the park could make the transition from Haunt to Winterfest and would be open on Saturdays and Sundays. There would be food stands/trucks, music, Peanuts meet & greets, beer, games, and even college and pro football on various TV screens. The train ride could also be open and would just make a loop from the Soak City station without stopping in Rivertown. Admission for non pass holders would be say $10 dollars for adults and $5 for kids with parking being around $10. Those numbers might be way to low but this is all just for fun.

Basically KI would be hosting a festival. It wouldn't be meant to draw in huge crowds but it could help boost yearly attendance and bring in more guests. People camping at the new campground or staying at Great Wolf Lodge might check it out. It might also encourage more people to buy gold passes since they can do something between Halloween and Christmas events.

Like I said this is just an idea I had.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

I like this idea! Throw in some live music and maybe a DJ and there we go!

[SnakePlissken]

Carowinds tried Nov last year and had some kinda peanuts theme. It worked so well they closed early several days and made people mad.

[malem]

The event at Carowinds last year was the Peanuts Celebration, similar to the June 2018 event at Kings Island. Weather and attendance are major issues for seasonal parks in November, so it can be a gamble with events.

Maybe we'll see some Cedar Fair parks try a food tasting event at that time of the year, which they're getting quite good at this year out of necessity at Knott's.

[Klabergian Empire]

I personally disagree with this.

First off, the park needs a bit of downtime to transition the park from Haunt to WinterFest. Yes, they do put up quite a bit of WinterFest stuff during Haunt (i.e. the candy canes in Tower Gardens, the tree out front, etc.), but remember the park also has to winterize the rides that won't be open during WinterFest AND they have to clean up all the Haunt stuff and put up the rest of the WinterFest stuff as well.

Secondly, you suggest the event would be in Soak City. The problem with this is there isn't much room in S.C. to really do anything really worth bringing people in. In the summer yeah because of the water rides and when the kids halloween fest is over there it works because it draws families for halloween and such. I seriously doubt that S.C. could host an event between Haunt and WinterFest that would actually draw in crowds. Especially in November.

In all honesty, I would like to keep it the way it is. Have the park close for the season and then re-open for WinterFest.

[SonofBaconator]

45 minutes ago, Klabergian Empire said:

....you suggest the event would be in Soak City. The problem with this is there isn't much room in S.C. to really do anything really worth bringing people in.

They hosted the children's Halloween event in Soak City for a few seasons and it seemed to work out just fine

[Klabergian Empire]

4 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

They hosted the children's Halloween event in Soak City for a few seasons and it seemed to work out just fine

Yeah but it was a minor event. It wasn't large event; it didn't take up a lot of S.C.. If you held an event on the same scale as the children's Halloween event in S.C. in November, I doubt it would be worth it.

[BeeastFarmer]

If there is an opportunity to make money, it should be explored.  Obviously, it worked for Carowinds in spite of Haunt teardown and Winterfest prep.  

I wouldn't be surprised to see more of these off season festivals pop up to extend revenue--maybe not at KI but at Cwinds, Schillerbahn etc.  

How cool would it be to have a December food tasting event at Breakers resort?  Nothing but food, maybe movie night etc.  I'd go from 6 hours away if I could get the time off!

I'm kind of surprised they havent done this at KD, Cwinds, CWland, ValleyFair and Great America given the success at Knotts.  (meaning, just a food festival in times of Covid).

[IndyGuy4KI]

1 hour ago, BeeastFarmer said:

I wouldn't be surprised to see more of these off season festivals pop up to extend revenue--maybe not at KI but at Cwinds, Schillerbahn etc.  

The experiences seem to be making them money. Look how popular Grand Carnivale went in 2019. I see CF investing money into these experiences and special events more and more. I think utilizing Soak City for something like this is a good idea. A smaller footprint to maintain for this event and you have several food stands to sell food like Island Smokehouse.

[BB1]

2 hours ago, Klabergian Empire said:

Secondly, you suggest the event would be in Soak City. The problem with this is there isn't much room in S.C. to really do anything really worth bringing people in. In the summer yeah because of the water rides and when the kids halloween fest is over there it works because it draws families for halloween and such. I seriously doubt that S.C. could host an event between Haunt and WinterFest that would actually draw in crowds. Especially in November.

In all honesty, I would like to keep it the way it is. Have the park close for the season and then re-open for WinterFest.

As someone who actually worked at the waterpark, there is space there to operate both a daytime halloween event, a night time halloween attraction, and even a winter event if the park wanted to. You could make it into a crafts/food village or even make the trick or treating trail around the lazy river pathway. You could even make that into a haunt area to make it loop and go around the whole deal while still having a daytime area for the kids. For Winterfest, make a Hawaiian Christmas area, put up some faux palm trees, maybe even put up a faux sled hill on one of the straight ways of the WP. I think people just don't really think of the area much because of the distance, but honestly if the park did it right and made the trail or train as exciting as possible, I think the park could do it.

As for the whole park, I honestly would love to see the park expand hours into November and March. November could have a few rides and attractions and take a week off before WF just to do last minute work, but I think people would go. However, with March, it would be the same idea, except less rides and more of a food festival. Maybe have a form of a celtic fest and focus more on the food and drinks line up with a few coasters and attractions that could operate. As, in my opinion, if people come in winter for Winterfest, people would be bound to come in March for an early opening. 

(Although, tbh if the park would let passholders do it, I would love to just walk the park during the off season if they could let us on certain days in a concentrated path.)

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

44 minutes ago, BB1 said:

(Although, tbh if the park would let passholders do it, I would love to just walk the park during the off season if they could let us on certain days in a concentrated path.)

I say when the next coaster gets built, they should do an offseason construction tour of it or maybe an off season winter tour like Winter Chill Out at Cedar Point. 

[jdf21972]

I enjoy my time off from the park from Haunt to Winterfest to recharge myself instead of getting burn out.


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[rhyano]

If Kings Island were to get something between Haunt and Winterfest, I think it'll be what Carowinds did last season with their Peanuts Festival, though it wasn't very busy when we went last year on either day, Fury had an hour wait in the morning on that Sunday, but that was because they were only running one train due to a mechanical issue, and the third train was already off the track for the season, meanwhile Copperhead Strike, and Afterburn were walk on waits. 

[Oldschool75]

I say when the next coaster gets built, they should do an offseason construction tour of it or maybe an off season winter tour like Winter Chill Out at Cedar Point. 

Don’t hold your breath.


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[SonofBaconator]

I think Soak City is underutilized during its respective off season. The park could host different events during the months that its not open. They could do the November idea like I mentioned earlier but they could also open themselves up to stuff in early spring before the park opens. The fact that its more detached from the park allows for them to be more independent and flexible when it comes to potentially hosting events.

[JimParker85]

I think the money on the table is to find a way to stay open daily through Labor Day. Cedar Point has been (2020) excluded, very busy in the last two weeks of August, even mid week. The passholders renewal/new passes push helps with that, especially in the last 3 years with "buy now, get the rest of this year included" perks. People trying to get in one more summer trip or family activity, plus some schools in the surrounding areas starting later. With maybe 12-8 hours or similar, I think they'd do well. Could add a theme to make it more interesting. 

[super7]

On 9/16/2020 at 1:24 AM, SnakePlissken said:

Carowinds tried Nov last year and had some kinda peanuts theme. It worked so well they closed early several days and made people mad.

I had the misfortune of attending one of those days.   It was a Saturday with temps in the 50s and NO tain.   Around 2 PM they announced they were closing at 3.    One of the poorest experiences ever at a park.   

But that’s what happens with cheap season passes.  The parks don’t care if they upset the customers because they know they will come back with their pass.   And if the park has mainly season pass holders in attendance, they Can close early because they already have the money they will get from them.  
 

Thsy one experience makes me now view Carowinds as being poorly managed like a Six Flags Park.  

[Vortex]

On 9/19/2020 at 3:13 AM, super7 said:

Thsy one experience makes me now view Carowinds as being poorly managed like a Six Flags Park.  

I don’t know about that. I was going to Six Flags over Georgia they closed the park for the day after it stopped rain at 7am and the park opened at 10 am.

[SonofBaconator]

How about Winter Weekends? Have I Street open for shopping, have festhaus open for shows, have KI theater open for bigger shows, have Planet Snoopy open for families, maybe the grand carousel, and leave it at that. Basically continue Winterfest without the holiday theme, keep the fountains frozen for ice skating, etc. I’m not sure how many people would go for it but after New Years, winter time in the greater Cincinnati region can get boring for families who might be tired of going to hockey games, the aquarium, etc.

[Klabergian Empire]

49 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

How about Winter Weekends? Have I Street open for shopping, have festhaus open for shows, have KI theater open for bigger shows, have Planet Snoopy open for families, maybe the grand carousel, and leave it at that. Basically continue Winterfest without the holiday theme, keep the fountains frozen for ice skating, etc. I’m not sure how many people would go for it but after New Years, winter time in the greater Cincinnati region can get boring for families who might be tired of going to hockey games, the aquarium, etc.

This is similar to what Kings Dominion does during the colder months of the year.

I personally don't think its a good idea (for Kings Island) because Kings Island (I would argue) gets hit more by winter weather than Kings Dominion and would thus be closed more assuming the "Winter Weekends" took place during an active winter season. Furthermore, because of climate, Kings Dominion's market for such an event is better. In other words, I don't think that it would be worth Kings Islands money and energy to do "Winter Weekends".

[SonofBaconator]

I brought this up on another thread but I thought I’d share it here: Haunt Thursdays? Haunt extended into select October Sundays last season and I thought it was a great idea. Could Thursdays be on the table with limited rides or would it be more trouble than it’s worth?

[silver2005]

Good luck finding adequate staffing. 

[Snowball]

Something that has to be considered with ideas like this is that in that short period of time between haunt and winterfest, haunt has to be entirely taken out and winterfest has to be put up. It's already a huge time crunch and I can't see there being enough time to add on another seasonal event between the two. It's an interesting idea, but logistically, I don't think it would be possible.

Edit: Just realized this thread is from 2020! Oops! 

[BeeastFarmer]

35 minutes ago, Snowball said:

Something that has to be considered with ideas like this is that in that short period of time between haunt and winterfest, haunt has to be entirely taken out and winterfest has to be put up. It's already a huge time crunch and I can't see there being enough time to add on another seasonal event between the two. It's an interesting idea, but logistically, I don't think it would be possible.

Carowinds, Kings Dominion and Knott's do it. Where there is a will, there is a way. In this case, the park or corporate would need to greatly expand the park services team and hire more people to staff the event. Probably not likely.

But then again, people said Winterfest would never return.  People said there would never be Winterfest at Canada's Wonderland.  People said Cedar Fair would never have a winter event in Sandusky. All of these have been big hits and I anticipate the Sawmill Creek event will grow. 

My, my my.  What exciting times we live in!