Kings Island Halloween Haunt 2024 Discussion

[BB1]

With July coming in full swing, I can't help but look forward to the Haunt season (No kidding, I'm already booking trips to HHN in Orlando and CP Halloweekends ontop of a Knotts stint). This will effectively be the first post merger haunt, which Six Flags pre-merger acquired access to use several major franchises for their halloween event. I'm definitely interested in seeing if we get any major changes for this season, I don't believe we are going to get access to any of the major franchises however I wouldn't be opposed to the park somehow bringing a new house to the park with a throwback theme a la Carnevil or Urgent Scare.

I think the key for this year is definitely finding a tempo that increases scares and gives more value for families for the day event. The dj on Coney Mall really took the ambiance away from what should be a solid midway for scares. I think the DJ would work well for a kids event dance party with the Peanuts characters but I was not a fan with what we got last year. That coupled with the lack of fog and lack of a scarezone in Adventure Port was a major let down that I think should definitely be monopolized this year. Make it a jungle expedition gone wrong, or maybe the curse we hear about on Adventure Express hitting the miners/explorers of the ruins.

What are some of your thoughts about what we need for 2024/could see in the coming weeks leading up to Haunt season? 

[Timchat2]

With Trailblazers X-Treme playing this summer it seems likely that NyteWalkers will return for 2024. 

As for other evening live entertainment during Haunt, presumably Monster Rock (or a new variation) will play at Festhaus and Dr. Nightmare (the game show) would be back at the Bandstand.

[SonofBaconator]

2 hours ago, BB1 said:

What are some of your thoughts about what we need for 2024/could see in the coming weeks leading up to Haunt season?

Personally, I would like to see a rating system for houses/mazes.

http://www.amusementpics.com/TPT/100705-139.jpg

Also I wish more rides got a name or theming overlay

https://www.themeparkhipster.com/happy-halloween/

Also, maybe have some of the Halloween props work during the daytime like they do at HalloWeekends during the day like the troll.

[Timchat2]

All Wheel Sports posted a casting notice for NyteWalkers, probably for Kings Island:

[rlentless]

Bring back "Half Pint Brawlers".  It will go along with all the new places we can buy alcohol. 

[BB1]

15 minutes ago, rlentless said:

Bring back "Half Pint Brawlers".  It will go along with all the new places we can buy alcohol. 

Be there be there be there! Buy a pint* to get access to the world thrilling Half Pint Brawlers in the Festhaus Thunder Dome!

*availability and access subject to change

I don’t really care for the live entertainment which in my opinion gets glorified way too much as Live E puts a lot of money into it. I’d be comfortable losing a show for more theming or a new house around the park as it would free up more spending for the attraction.

[teenageninja]

Those guys knew how to work a crowd!

[KIfan73]

Here's some pics of the first Haunt (was FearFest), and first under CF ownership.  October 2007.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

I wouldn't really compare this year to 2007 as 2007 was the first "full" season under CF. CF purchased KI in 2006. I wouldn't really expect much if any changes to Haunt this year as Fearfest didn't change in 2006. I think if we're going to compare the merger to the CF/Paramount aquisition, 2024 would be better compared to 2006 and 2025 would be 2007 and so on. However, I don't feel like we'll see as much changes to KI as we saw going from Paramount to CF as it's still mostly CF execs running the combined company. 

[SonofBaconator]

I’ve never been to a non Cedar Fair Halloween event, how does Haunt contrast Fright Fest? Heck throw HalloScream in there too.

[BeeastFarmer]

I went to sfog during the time it was going on. I went for coasters, so paying an upcharge was irrelevant to me because I didn't do them. This was in 2017. Not much fog, I understand why because it's sfog after all.  Scare zones were ok.  The entire event didn't feel coherent and kind of saccharine. I was used to ki haunt, which was much better back then.

[DonHelbig]

2 hours ago, SonofBaconator said:

I’ve never been to a non Cedar Fair Halloween event, how does Haunt contrast Fright Fest? Heck throw HalloScream in there too.

Fright Fest and Howl-O-Scream have been the better events in recent years. More scare-actors in the mazes and scare zones. Not as many kids at these events from my experience. 

[SonofBaconator]

48 minutes ago, DonHelbig said:

Fright Fest and Howl-O-Scream have been the better events in recent years. More scare-actors in the mazes and scare zones. Not as many kids at these events from my experience. 

That’s interesting. Not sure if you care to answer, and if you don’t want to that’s 100% fine, but what was the biggest change regarding Halloween Haunt during your tenure that you didn’t agree with?

[DonHelbig]

12 hours ago, SonofBaconator said:

That’s interesting. Not sure if you care to answer, and if you don’t want to that’s 100% fine, but what was the biggest change regarding Halloween Haunt during your tenure that you didn’t agree with?

There wasn't anything that changed for Haunt during my time there that I didn't agree with outside of replacing Hot Blooded. The show fit Haunt. It was popular, had a cult-like following. While it doesn't fall under change, I was never a fan of allowing No-Boo necklaces in the mazes. I thought that ruined the experience for those attending the event for the scares and they'd get grouped with others with the No-Boo. 

[Snowball]

3 hours ago, DonHelbig said:

There wasn't anything that changed for Haunt during my time there that I didn't agree with outside of replacing Hot Blooded. The show fit Haunt. It was popular, had a cult-like following. While it doesn't fall under change, I was never a fan of allowing No-Boo necklaces in the mazes. I thought that ruined the experience for those attending the event for the scares and they'd get grouped with others with the No-Boo. 

From what I can remember from my time working in the mazes during haunt (2016 - 2018), no boo necklaces are allowed in the mazes but they don’t do anything to keep you from getting scared. It’s a lot easier to not go through a haunted house than it is to avoid the scare zones. In most cases guests were instructed to turn their necklaces off before entering the mazes because they’re bright and they’re distracting to other guests.

I still miss Hot Blooded, as do many many other people. If I could bring back one show, that would be it. I’m still sad that it’s gone all these years later.

[DJSkyFoxx]

I just wanna see Haunt get some teeth back to it. It has been such a shell of what it used to be (IMO). I still love going if for nothing else to get some foggy night rides in, but I sure as heck miss when the event had some bite to it. 

[Kristh]

I love the haunted houses and I love the ones who walk about.  Themed rides make it better.  The necklaces while ok were silly.  If you didn’t want to be scared you shouldn’t have been there was my opinion.  But to each their own.  I think patrons should be allowed to dress up in costumes as long as they are tasteful and not with weapons.  I just want to know when we can buy tickets.  

[Snowball]

On 7/27/2024 at 10:16 AM, Kristh said:

I think patrons should be allowed to dress up in costumes as long as they are tasteful and not with weapons.

I may be wrong, but I’m pretty sure costumes are allowed as long as they are tasteful and don’t involve any kind of face covering (Masks, makeup, hoods, veils, etc.). I’m not sure on the exact specifics.

[BeeastFarmer]

Please, for the love of Scooby Doo, put a new Six Flags policy in place than bans adult onesies 

[BB1]

Haunt is confirmed from 9/20-11/2 this year! I'm glad we got some additional time to enjoy the park in the fall but I'm hoping the final night won't be an Frankenstein of Christmas and Haunt in one go. 

[beastfan11]

1 minute ago, BB1 said:

…but I'm hoping the final night won't be an Frankenstein of Christmas and Haunt in one go. 

Hey, if they lean into it, it might be cool. Holiday Horror 3.0! 

[brenthodge]

44 minutes ago, BB1 said:

Haunt is confirmed from 9/20-11/2 this year! I'm glad we got some additional time to enjoy the park in the fall but I'm hoping the final night won't be an Frankenstein of Christmas and Haunt in one go. 

We already get that. I’m concerned that either 1) there will be even more crossover or 2) winter fest will be even more scaled back do they know they can knock it out in less time because we KNOW it’s not 3) they are hiring a huge crew to make the transition from visible HAUNT to visible WINTERFEST in record time. 

[BB1]

37 minutes ago, brenthodge said:

We already get that. I’m concerned that either 1) there will be even more crossover or 2) winter fest will be even more scaled back do they know they can knock it out in less time because we KNOW it’s not 3) they are hiring a huge crew to make the transition from visible HAUNT to visible WINTERFEST in record time. 

I've griped about this every year for the past several years now. Let me enjoy the Haunt season, make the last day feel like what we used to get in the late 2000's and early 2010's. IMO Haunt was in it's hay day back then, I hope now with some SIX focus we can get a better event moving forward. 

[Orion-XL200]

With the extended Haunt schedule, I wonder if they'll have one weekend less of Winterfest at the beginning. 

[disco2000]

46 minutes ago, Orion-XL200 said:

With the extended Haunt schedule, I wonder if they'll have one weekend less of Winterfest at the beginning. 

 

Nope, we start Winterfest the weekend before Thanksgiving (first time since 2019)...unless they decide to yank it by giving an extra week of Haunt.

 

Thus why @brenthodge points out they now have even less time (only two full weeks) between Haunt to Winterfest and he questions will we get more WF decorations up during Haunt or will they scale back Winterfest, or do they hire mega crews to come in and turn the decorations over in two weeks...

Now they just need to get the website calendar to match the posters in the park:

 

 

[BeeastFarmer]

It depends on what Kings Island and or Six Flags want to do.  History shows us that they will turn off the fountain at later Haunt even though they don't build snowflake lake.  Same with the light on the tower so it closes down earlier than needed, although it seems it's been down more than up this year.

I used to think these budget decisions were made by corporate, but the more I read/ hear/ think, Mike Kootnz is making the call. For example, according to what he said in Evan's book, he made the decision to kill Vortex after a rough ride one morning.  At the spring conference, he said he made the decision to remove the fountain pedestals.

Did he make the decision to switch to Sysco mini chicken chunks?  Did he decide that rides positions can be eliminated? Did he make the decision that the KI theater was going to be dark for much more of the season than it should be? That Icees do not have lids? That they are/were playing jazz in area 72?

Or were these all decided by corporate?

[DonHelbig]

5 hours ago, BeeastFarmer said:

It depends on what Kings Island and or Six Flags want to do.  History shows us that they will turn off the fountain at later Haunt even though they don't build snowflake lake.  Same with the light on the tower so it closes down earlier than needed, although it seems it's been down more than up this year.

I used to think these budget decisions were made by corporate, but the more I read/ hear/ think, Mike Kootnz is making the call. For example, according to what he said in Evan's book, he made the decision to kill Vortex after a rough ride one morning.  At the spring conference, he said he made the decision to remove the fountain pedestals.

Did he make the decision to switch to Sysco mini chicken chunks?  Did he decide that rides positions can be eliminated? Did he make the decision that the KI theater was going to be dark for much more of the season than it should be? That Icees do not have lids? That they are/were playing jazz in area 72?

Or were these all decided by corporate?

Corporate isn't making the decision to run one side of The Racer for a third of the day, run only one train on the K.I & Miami Valley Railroad most of the week, have drink stands closed, have the theaters dark for much of the summer. Those decisions get made at the park level. The park is told by corporate what the operating budget is, and they make cuts based on what they're allowed to spend. 

The reason why Matt Ouimet left Cedar Fair when he did was because the merger between Six Flags and Cedar Fair was not going to play into his strengths. He said a major component of value creation from any merger is the achievement of cost efficiencies. For him, this objective ran counter to his bias towards improving the guest experience. In the near term, with pressure from investors, the cost synergies usually take precedent. and he wasn't in favor of that.

Over the past two years, the guest experience at Kings Island has not been as good as it used to be -- what guests had been accustomed to. The product now being offered has been watered down. As long as guests find it acceptable, the cost-cutting trend we've witnessed the past couple of years will continue. They can offer a watered-down experience because people will still come. 

[Taylor.B03]

On 8/5/2024 at 11:15 PM, disco2000 said:

 

Nope, we start Winterfest the weekend before Thanksgiving (first time since 2019)...unless they decide to yank it by giving an extra week of Haunt.

 

Thus why @brenthodge points out they now have even less time (only two full weeks) between Haunt to Winterfest and he questions will we get more WF decorations up during Haunt or will they scale back Winterfest, or do they hire mega crews to come in and turn the decorations over in two weeks...

Now they just need to get the website calendar to match the posters in the park:

 

 

Here's the (Basic) math on this using what we currently know.

[DJSkyFoxx]

All I'm thinking is "yay more fall rides!!!". I am grateful for every season at the park. Spring is exciting because of the long hiatus off during winter, summer is action packed and full of opportunity to visit both the dry and wet side of the park. Fall is just magical. Crisp, cool air, the feel and the smell of crunchy leaves, the earlier darkness leaving room for lots of night rides, spooky vibes. All of that. I am all for it!!! Not to mention I feel fall rides just hit different. They feel wilder, faster and more out of control which I dig.

Winterfest was awesome last year IMHO. I felt for what was lacking during Haunt they made up for during Winterfest. I am hoping for a good Winterfest this year too as it has helped me personally with coping with the holiday season. 

 

[Timchat2]

Some minor prep for NyteWalkers: