IndyGuy4KI Posted July 22, 2023 Share Posted July 22, 2023 Grand Carnivale is a popular event at Kings Island. Don't know if you want to take a picture of this. Being a special event, let's create its own thread for event reviews, and food tasting reviews. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disco2000 Posted July 22, 2023 Share Posted July 22, 2023 Let the #NOTonMEALplan complaints begin on FB lol 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timchat2 Posted July 22, 2023 Share Posted July 22, 2023 Great to have the event back! Let's kick it up up UP! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyGuy4KI Posted July 22, 2023 Author Share Posted July 22, 2023 The apfelstrudel was so very good. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyGuy4KI Posted July 22, 2023 Author Share Posted July 22, 2023 Be on the lookout for a video and KIC photo gallery this weekend. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brenthodge Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 Did they actually get all the lit garlands plugged in or do they all just have the plugs hanging from them like they did on Tuesday. Seems like a waste to buy garlands lit with specific colored lights to match the garlands-hand them on buildings covered in outlets and never plug them in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timchat2 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 The garland lights were dark tonight (Saturday). Hopefully we'll see them lit up soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brenthodge Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 56 minutes ago, Timchat2 said: The garland lights were dark tonight (Saturday). Hopefully we'll see them lit up soon. don't count on it - they went the whole event last time mostly all dark with dangling plugs - was hoping this time around they MIGHT have actually taken the time to plug them in. They used a lot of them just wadded up at the bases of the poles on the concrete blocks - seems like a poor use of the assets they have to work with. It's cool that they actually match the flags of the country they are used in, so some thought went into them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brenthodge Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 2 hours ago, IndyGuy4KI said: Be on the lookout for a video and KIC photo gallery this weekend. did they not even bother with lights on the floats? They all look dark. I mean you are having the nighttime light up parade in broad daylight, so I guess why bother?! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyGuy4KI Posted July 23, 2023 Author Share Posted July 23, 2023 4 minutes ago, brenthodge said: did they not even bother with lights on the floats? They all look dark. I mean you are having the nighttime light up parade in broad daylight, so I guess why bother?! I never saw them lit up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timchat2 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 Were the Grand Carnivale characters around outside of the opening ceremony and the parade? Other than the King, Queen and two jesters I didn't see any of them at the dance parties or the finale. With so many of the performers still doing their regular shows during the day the park is likely letting them go home after the parade to round out their shifts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyGuy4KI Posted July 23, 2023 Author Share Posted July 23, 2023 Grand Carnivale merch is in a few locations and 20% off. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 30 minutes ago, Timchat2 said: Were the Grand Carnivale characters around outside of the opening ceremony and the parade? Other than the King, Queen and two jesters I didn't see any of them at the dance parties or the finale. With so many of the performers still doing their regular shows during the day the park is likely letting them go home after the parade to round out their shifts. They also didn’t mingle and then close out the night on stage like they did in past years. Really took away something that was rather magical in past years. Food was good, parade was fun, but the budget cuts this year were really felt in some aspects. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyGuy4KI Posted July 23, 2023 Author Share Posted July 23, 2023 A look a Grand Carnivale in 2023. The video doesn't do the event justice. You need to see it in person. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timchat2 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 36 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said: They also didn’t mingle and then close out the night on stage like they did in past years. Really took away something that was rather magical in past years. Food was good, parade was fun, but the budget cuts this year were really felt in some aspects. Thankfully the parade feels essentially like it did in 2021, so that core part of the event remains intact. The performers and their costumes look amazing this year so it would have been nice to spend more time with them, get photos, etc. Not having Pulse of Carnivale (the drummers and cirque performers) is unfortunate because that really added to the festive vibe of the evening. And while I do enjoy RetroSpect on its own terms, the show doesn't really have much in the way of international flavor to its music. The lack of a live band is certainly felt as well. Royal Rhythms felt like a true party with all that energy coming from the Bandstand. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brenthodge Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 7 hours ago, BoddaH1994 said: They also didn’t mingle and then close out the night on stage like they did in past years. Really took away something that was rather magical in past years. Food was good, parade was fun, but the budget cuts this year were really felt in some aspects. Those aspects that you mentioned are really getting noticed and called out in other channels as well. It’s not just the “crazy loyalists” that are noticing the drop in quality recently. Slipper slope here. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brenthodge Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 6 hours ago, Timchat2 said: Thankfully the parade feels essentially like it did in 2021, so that core part of the event remains intact. The performers and their costumes look amazing this year so it would have been nice to spend more time with them, get photos, etc. Not having Pulse of Carnivale (the drummers and cirque performers) is unfortunate because that really added to the festive vibe of the evening. And while I do enjoy RetroSpect on its own terms, the show doesn't really have much in the way of international flavor to its music. The lack of a live band is certainly felt as well. Royal Rhythms felt like a true party with all that energy coming from the Bandstand. Looks like they cut the trampoline unit (as they have at the other parks that have already done Carnivale) was hoping that was just a temporary thing at KD, but looks like it applied everywhere. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin22 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 Interesting how seasonal events was one of the biggest ways the chain was planning on increasing revenue yet here we are with all these budgets for seasonal events. Bizarre strategy. Can’t wait to see haunt. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 5 hours ago, brenthodge said: Those aspects that you mentioned are really getting noticed and called out in other channels as well. It’s not just the “crazy loyalists” that are noticing the drop in quality recently. Slipper slope here. This also explains why the opening ceremony is at 6:00 instead of 5:00 like on past years. 5:00 - clock in 6:00 - opening ceremony 7:00 - parade 8:00 - clock out Saving well-over three hours of labor per performer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyGuy4KI Posted July 23, 2023 Author Share Posted July 23, 2023 See over 200 photos of this year's Grand Carnivale in the KIC photo gallery. https://kicentral.com/photos/grand-carnivale-2023 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonofBaconator Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 13 hours ago, BoddaH1994 said: Food was good, parade was fun, but the budget cuts this year were really felt in some aspects. I hope this ain’t the case with Winterfest. Haunt becomes less “haunty” every year and seems to be more rides focused imo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timchat2 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 6 hours ago, brenthodge said: Looks like they cut the trampoline unit (as they have at the other parks that have already done Carnivale) was hoping that was just a temporary thing at KD, but looks like it applied everywhere. With the All Wheel Sports trampoline performers at Off the Rails this summer I was hoping Kings Island's parade would have kept the trampoline unit. The tight evening schedule is apparently a way to still have the regular daytime shows and Grand Carnivale within a 12-8 shift for nearly everyone (except RetroSpect's evening shift). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 1 hour ago, Timchat2 said: With the All Wheel Sports trampoline performers at Off the Rails this summer I was hoping Kings Island's parade would have kept the trampoline unit. The tight evening schedule is apparently a way to still have the regular daytime shows and Grand Carnivale within a 12-8 shift for nearly everyone (except RetroSpect's evening shift). Plus cutting hours out of the other opening ceremony/dancers’ schedules so they work four hours instead of eight. Much of what they have is really great, some of it is so cut down that it’s less like Grand Carnivale and more like Church Carnival. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disco2000 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 1 minute ago, BoddaH1994 said: Plus cutting hours out of the other opening ceremony/dancers’ schedules so they work four hours instead of eight. Much of what they have is really great, some of it is so cut down that it’s less like Grand Carnivale and more like Church Carnival. "Church Carnivale" is how to get around using the word budget and getting flagged like using that word with giga LOL It will be interesting what the park surveys come back with, along with social media posts. To the couple time a year guests it is probably a nice limited run event - "hey lets go to KI before that event is gone" To the multiple visits guests and fans of the park, they will notice the cuts and may decide to skip the event, especially if the limited run increases attendance. Is the bump in attendance yesterday and today a result of Carnivale or the nice weekend weather that we haven't had the past several weekends? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoddaH1994 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 I’m surprised that no one has mentioned the temporary change to the nightly show. Now this, on the other hand, was awesome! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIfan73 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 Now I know what I noticed at Winterfest this past year. It was still beautiful, but something about it felt kind of empty. Kind of like going to a Christmas party and all the snacks and decorations are there, but the host had already left. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timchat2 Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 36 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said: I’m surprised that no one has mentioned the temporary change to the nightly show. Now this, on the other hand, was awesome! That was indeed very cool. It's a great photo op at the end of the night. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeastFarmer Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 38 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said: I’m surprised that no one has mentioned the temporary change to the nightly show. Now this, on the other hand, was awesome! I swear that looks like Vortex font even though I know it's not. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIghostguy Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 I’m disappointed that India was cut from the event. I really enjoyed the food at their booth in past years! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brenthodge Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 16 minutes ago, KIghostguy said: I’m disappointed that India was cut from the event. I really enjoyed the food at their booth in past years! Totally agree. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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