Will KI ever surpass 4 million in attendance?

[SonofBaconator]

Kings Island is one of the three seasonal Cedar Fair parks that gets over 3 million visitors every season. Will we ever see the park surpass 4 million? What changes would have to be made to even get close to this number?

[Benjamin22]

More operating days would likely be necessary. As others have mentioned on other thread having haunt be on Thursday days also would be a good way to potentially raise attendance. Additionally they’d probably need to find a way to boast Winterfest attendance. From limited personal observation KIs Winterfest seems to get significantly less attendance then some of the other parks.

[JimParker85]

With 4 day weekend ops for Haunt, open mid -April and daily operations through Labour Day, yes I think they could in a year with a major coaster opening. 

[SonofBaconator]

The more operating days part is spot on. Thursday Haunts would help increase attendance. The main reason why extended seasons are hard is because of the rapid change in weather our region faces. KI doesn't have a ton of rides that can operate regardless of the season or weather. I feel like if the park had at least one more dark ride, more people would be willing to go because its an inside ride. Would that get us to 4 million? Not necessarily but it would help.

[coaster sally]

Build a large RMC or Intamin and have more operating days. 

[AnyPancakes]

23 hours ago, SonofBaconator said:

Kings Island is one of the three seasonal Cedar Fair parks that gets over 3 million visitors every season. Will we ever see the park surpass 4 million? What changes would have to be made to even get close to this number?

I think there were almost that many people at the water park yesterday. 

[King Ding Dong]

I sure AF hope not.  

[BoddaH1994]

On 8/28/2021 at 3:04 PM, SonofBaconator said:

Kings Island is one of the three seasonal Cedar Fair parks that gets over 3 million visitors every season. Will we ever see the park surpass 4 million? What changes would have to be made to even get close to this number?

I’m sure 4 million is a pie in the sky number corporate wants for the park. They said in their conference call that they wanted to increase attendance through an augmentation of the current operating season. 
 

KD has bonus days, Carowinds is gearing up for a year round season, Cedar Point is doubling their Haunt days. 
 

Kings Island cut hours this season. 
 

Not everything is going to work, but once this post-pandemic pent up demand honeymoon period is over it’s going to be harder and harder for Kings Island’s management to win these battles. 

[CoastersRZ]

To be fair, KI did add some hours on Sundays in October.  They now close at 8pm instead of 7pm, like they have for years.  Granted, they are still down a total of 1 hour on a typical Haunt weekend, thanks to the midnight closes compared to the 1am closes on Fridays and Saturdays.

I hope, by next spring, that the pandemic will be in a better place, and that KI can open earlier in the season (mid to early April like they used to), and that the 10am openings come back.

[BruceWayneWins]

I think expanding days is the answer.

 

The only way a ride would do is if its multiple big rides in a single season opening (maybe) or some sort of insane record breaker like a 500ft+ coaster or worlds longest steel coaster.  I don't think most new rides would do it.  It'd have to be something that gets the entire global coaster enthusiast community talking.

[Cle2KI]

Kept asking if they could, never stopped to ask if they should. 

[Honorarius]

On 8/29/2021 at 1:22 PM, SonofBaconator said:

The more operating days part is spot on. Thursday Haunts would help increase attendance. The main reason why extended seasons are hard is because of the rapid change in weather our region faces. KI doesn't have a ton of rides that can operate regardless of the season or weather. I feel like if the park had at least one more dark ride, more people would be willing to go because its an inside ride. Would that get us to 4 million? Not necessarily but it would help.

Does Diamondback have wheel heaters???

[SonofBaconator]

If Haunt would be extended to Thursday nights, would you have the same operating line-up that you'd have on the weekend or would rides and haunts be limited?

[BoddaH1994]

16 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

If Haunt would be extended to Thursday nights, would you have the same operating line-up that you'd have on the weekend or would rides and haunts be limited?

They did about 5 rides and “most” mazes were open during Bare Bones Nights in 2007-ish when they tried that. Also, no one was there. If they add Thursdays and/or Sundays they’ll need to either do it right or don’t do it. 

[SonofBaconator]

14 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said:

If they add Thursdays and/or Sundays they’ll need to either do it right or don’t do it. 

Define "right." I feel like their biggest issue is staffing which is a catch-22. You don't have as many staff on Thursdays therefore you can't have as many rides open but if you don't have a lot of rides open you're not bringing in a lot of people

[disco2000]

10 hours ago, BoddaH1994 said:

They did about 5 rides and “most” mazes were open during Bare Bones Nights in 2007-ish when they tried that. Also, no one was there. If they add Thursdays and/or Sundays they’ll need to either do it right or don’t do it. 

To be fair, I think the weather every Thursday that year rained and sucked.

But a lot has changed since then as well.  Overall park clientele has changed as have the "normal" working hours of a lot people.  

Because so many do not work the traditional "9 to 5" job anymore and many have flex-time, work from home, etc., there is a demand for events that traditionally/historically would only be weekend type events.  Sure the teen population still has school the next day, but they would be up past closing time regardless LOL.  And more so than the last attempt, many high schools now operate more like a college campus, so if students lined up study halls or online college credit plus courses first thing, many do not need to be at school right when school starts.

I think this is why we are seeing Cedar Point expand their HalloWeekends operating calendar onto Thursdays and 10pm closes on Sunday.  I think Cedar Point will do very well with their Thursday and Sunday evening additions.

Other Haunt attractions do very well on a Thursday.  Dent Schoolhouse can seem just as busy on a Thursday as a Saturday, and I believe they added more Thursdays into the operating calendar this year than years past. 

While I certainly agree with you on the "do it right or don't do it", I do think that with proper manage the expectations going in, there is a demand for Thursday Haunt.  Open the 5 big rides that people wanna ride and all Haunt attractions open, and people will come.

 

[coaster sally]

I mean little parks around KI has a better woodie(voyage) & steel(storm chaser) than KI has subjectively with KI having so much more deeper pockets......