Should Winterfest Open Earlier on in the day?

[SonofBaconator]

Would it be worth it if the park opened earlier on certain days for Winterfest or should it just say an evening event?

[johnjniehaus]

I think it should remain an evening event but, one thing I prefer about the Winterfest of previous years is that the shows had later times. For example, Tinkers Toy Factory last show is at 7:30 on Sat/Sun and it's not a the only show that you must see before 8pm. I'm assuming they recycle the performers for the parade but I still don't like that you are hard pressed to get in all the shows before the parade begins. An improvement I would like to see next winterfest is bringing back the later showtimes (8:00, 8:30, 9:00, 9:30). 

[FUN&ONLY!]

Maybe not earlier in the day, but I would love to see Winterfest extended a little into January if possible. The event is very popular the week following Christmas as schools are on break, so I feel like Kings Island could capitalize on the first few days or weekends in January when students are off. I know other Cedar Fair parks have tried this in the past.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

19 minutes ago, FUN&ONLY! said:

Maybe not earlier in the day, but I would love to see Winterfest extended a little into January if possible. The event is very popular the week following Christmas as schools are on break, so I feel like Kings Island could capitalize on the first few days or weekends in January when students are off. I know other Cedar Fair parks have tried this in the past.

They would need to work with the state to change how ride certifications work as the ride certifications end at midnight on NYE. That is why rides close at 10 on New Years Eve as they aren't allowed to be running past midnight. 

[BeeastFarmer]

4 minutes ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

They would need to work with the state to change how ride certifications work as the ride certifications end at midnight on NYE. That is why rides close at 10 on New Years Eve as they aren't allowed to be running past midnight. 

Where there's a will, there's a way. 

[guy1115]

1 hour ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

They would need to work with the state to change how ride certifications work as the ride certifications end at midnight on NYE. That is why rides close at 10 on New Years Eve as they aren't allowed to be running past midnight. 

You would think there mechanism in place for this already with the state.  Think of the zoos that have trains and carousels, and hotels, such as GWL, with water attractions.   I simply can't understand why they don't go through the first week of the new year, especially since they are missing 2 ideal days that people are off this year (1/1 + 1/2).

[Cedar Fair Fanboy]

I know Cargo loco and Sol spin will be added to Winterfest. It's best to extend the opening time from 4 to 10 and on weekends 3 to 10

[SonofBaconator]

It would be neat to see something like “Winter Weekends” which take place during weekends in January and February. The Holiday overlays would go away but the winter activities would stay such as the sled riding and ice rink. I’d like to see if KI could get away with having an event with little to no rides open. They partially did it when they moved the children’s Halloween event to Soak City for a while (granted the rest of the dry park was still open.)

[brenthodge]

On 12/4/2022 at 12:52 PM, Cedar Fair Fanboy said:

I know Cargo loco and Sol spin will be added to Winterfest. It's best to extend the opening time from 4 to 10 and on weekends 3 to 10

totally agree with that - ALSO the trim throughout the park is generally designed to look great in the day AND night - in fact a lot of the trim details are lost at night since they don't do enough general building lighting to highlight it (like the fact that The Racer trim is one side red - one blue, even on the wreath - totally lost once its dark since its lit all white. I don't think it really needs to go longer into the season (although Dollywood always runs through the Sunday after new Years regardless of where it falls in the week.)

 

On 12/3/2022 at 10:07 PM, johnjniehaus said:

I think it should remain an evening event but, one thing I prefer about the Winterfest of previous years is that the shows had later times. For example, Tinkers Toy Factory last show is at 7:30 on Sat/Sun and it's not a the only show that you must see before 8pm. I'm assuming they recycle the performers for the parade but I still don't like that you are hard pressed to get in all the shows before the parade begins. An improvement I would like to see next winterfest is bringing back the later showtimes (8:00, 8:30, 9:00, 9:30). 

Im not sure why they did that this year. Yes - the show casts are also a lot of the parade cast, but they could either move the parade start up to 8 or eliminate a show stop to get through the route sooner, and then get the cast back for a 9 or 9:30 show. Cool Yule does at least one show after the parade, not sure why not Tinkers. 

[CoastersRZ]

The reason they do the parade so late is often times after the parade a lot of guests head for the gates.  Having the parade when they do keeps them in the park longer.

I agree, that it is hard to see all the shows before the parade start time.  I could see them maybe opening at 3 on some days.  I could also see them opening the weekend before Thanksgiving.  I think they did that in 2019.  The problem there is the turn around time between Haunt and Winterfest.  The first weekend of Winterfest, there are typically a few things that are completely set up yet.

[SonofBaconator]

@CoastersRZ I think starting Winterfest before Thanksgiving would be helpful. It could combat any potential weather related incidents like the park had last season with early winter freezes. 
 

I want more attractions open but at the same time, I want the holidays incorporated more into them.Seeing the Boo Blasters done up for Winterfest was a great touch. Adding an overlay to Mystic Timbers would be easy enough to do, in my opinion, I just don’t understand why it hasn’t been done yet. Just adding holiday lights in the shed and maybe plays 80s Christmas hits (not sure if they’d need to get the rights to use them) would be enough for me. Also, with the work being done on Racer, it would be nice to see it run during Winterfest as well.
 

I love going to Winterfest every season but for some reason, something was off about this year. I’m not sure if I had personally expected more or what but I didn’t get the same feelings that I did in years past and I know I’m not alone on that.

[brenthodge]

8 hours ago, SonofBaconator said:

@CoastersRZ I think starting Winterfest before Thanksgiving would be helpful. It could combat any potential weather related incidents like the park had last season with early winter freezes. 
 

I want more attractions open but at the same time, I want the holidays incorporated more into them.Seeing the Boo Blasters done up for Winterfest was a great touch. Adding an overlay to Mystic Timbers would be easy enough to do, in my opinion, I just don’t understand why it hasn’t been done yet. Just adding holiday lights in the shed and maybe plays 80s Christmas hits (not sure if they’d need to get the rights to use them) would be enough for me. Also, with the work being done on Racer, it would be nice to see it run during Winterfest as well.
 

I love going to Winterfest every season but for some reason, something was off about this year. I’m not sure if I had personally expected more or what but I didn’t get the same feelings that I did in years past and I know I’m not alone on that.

You arent alone. It seemed to be a season of changes by omission rather than addition. I feel like the whole event needs a “5 year refresh” at this point with new themes or at least a reorganization of those themed areas. It’s starting to feel a bit stale. 

[SonofBaconator]

33 minutes ago, brenthodge said:

You arent alone. It seemed to be a season of changes by omission rather than addition. I feel like the whole event needs a “5 year refresh” at this point with new themes or at least a reorganization of those themed areas. It’s starting to feel a bit stale. 

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy going to Winterfest but it has indeed been getting stale.

For example, while the train is super popular during Winterfest, I think the half “Twelve Days of Christmas” half “Christmas carols” seems to have run its course and the whole ride could do with a new overlay.

I’m sure the new flat rides in AP will help add something to the event, but I feel like after 5 years, some things need to be retired, some things need to be refreshed, and some things need to be introduced.

[willis644]

It seems to me that they could open International Street alone and let people come in to shop/ice skate a few hours before the rest of the park opens. Ice skating is so crowded most nights that my family has stopped trying; maybe if they're open earlier in the day, it would give people of a certain skill level a chance to skate without being in the middle of wall to wall people.

[CoastersRZ]

Yes, I agree that Twelve days of Christmas on the train needs an update.  I still loved what they did with the train in 2005 in terms of having live entertainment in the station and onboard the train.  There were not as many lights on the route as there are now, but it was certainly more entertaining.  

I agree that I street and the ice skating could open earlier.  I have not done the ice skating in this incarnation of Winterfest but it always seems so crowded.

[SonofBaconator]

On 1/19/2023 at 11:08 AM, CoastersRZ said:

I agree that I street and the ice skating could open earlier.  I have not done the ice skating in this incarnation of Winterfest but it always seems so crowded.

I think that would be nice, and maybe rope off certain areas until it becomes night time. 
 

Has KI ever done live Reindeer? I think that would be a cool thing for guests to see and a lot of holiday events incorporate them in.

[DJSkyFoxx]

The only reason I do not feel WF needs to open earlier in the day is because IMO, the lights are what make the atmosphere and going earlier in the day kind of defeats that purpose. We see plenty of daytime hours during regular/fall season. WF is to be enjoyed at nighttime for the lights. 

If for whatever reason there were to be extended hours into the daytime I feel there would need to be incentives for that as others above have stated, things have gotten a bit stale and there needs to be some new/updated experiences. I love WF, just wish to see some new fresh experiences or updated ones. 

One thing I would enjoy seeing would be adding some ice bumper boats. Maybe have X amount of hours for ice skating and X amount of hours for bumper boats. Or split the fountain in half and do one side for skates and the other half for boats like they do downtown Cincinnati.