Kings Island Halloween Haunt 2025 Discussion

[Timchat2]

Wasn't the Haunted Attractions Pass $30 on Saturdays when it was first offered? The pass is listed as $15 for all of the remaining Haunt Saturdays. The pass is $10 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

[disco2000]

^Yep.  Wonder why....

[CoasterJack]

Yes, they lowered maximum the price of the attractions pass, but they raised the minimum price of the conjuring (from $15 to $20) in order to try and limit crowds more considering the insane line it seems to have shortly after opening

[DispatchMaster]

It makes more sense to price it high initially and reduce if necessary than it does to do it the other way around.

Interestingly, at CP (where the price is also reduced), both the Haunted Attractions Express Pass and Conjuring tickets are sold out online, but that is not the case for KI.

[Kenban]

7 minutes ago, DispatchMaster said:

It makes more sense to price it high initially and reduce if necessary than it does to do it the other way around.

Interestingly, at CP (where the price is also reduced), both the Haunted Attractions Express Pass and Conjuring tickets are sold out online, but that is not the case for KI.

Express is sold out because it includes The Conjuring.  If the conjuring sells out, it forces express sales to end.  I personally feel including the conjuring in express was a mistake.  I figured a version of express without the conjuring would happen so that the express sales could resume but it has not.

When I did the conjuring at Kings Island I was pretty confident they took advantage of the extra space and built the house for higher capacity than the version at Cedar Point.  I think they even duplicated some of the rooms.  I am also unsure if they hired enough actors to run it at maximum capacity.

[DonHelbig]

3 hours ago, Timchat2 said:

Wasn't the Haunted Attractions Pass $30 on Saturdays when it was first offered? The pass is listed as $15 for all of the remaining Haunt Saturdays. The pass is $10 on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

Supply and no demand. 

[rexpostal]

20 hours ago, Stoan said:

I hate having access to the thing I payed for too! I should just stop enjoying things that I purchased!

That isn't what was being said.  The post was about wanting Haunt to be more like the religiously themed event at Dollywood...

 

[DonHelbig]

1 hour ago, rexpostal said:

That isn't what was being said.  The post was about wanting Haunt to be more like the religiously themed event at Dollywood...

 

Dollywood’s Harvest Festival is favored by many seasoned, well-traveled park-goers over Kings Island’s Halloween Haunt and other Six Flags’ Halloween events, thanks to its family-friendly, festive autumn atmosphere, focus on live music and artisanal crafts, and its impressive display of enormous, real pumpkins. 

[rexpostal]

15 minutes ago, DonHelbig said:

Dollywood’s Harvest Festival is favored by many seasoned, well-traveled park-goers over Kings Island’s Halloween Haunt and other Six Flags’ Halloween events, thanks to its family-friendly, festive autumn atmosphere, focus on live music and artisanal crafts, and its impressive display of enormous, real pumpkins. 

That's fine!  Many people prefer Chipotle to McDonalds!  It doesn't mean I want a burrito when I'm craving a Big Mac. 

[brenthodge]

8 hours ago, DonHelbig said:

Dollywood’s Harvest Festival is favored by many seasoned, well-traveled park-goers over Kings Island’s Halloween Haunt and other Six Flags’ Halloween events, thanks to its family-friendly, festive autumn atmosphere, focus on live music and artisanal crafts, and its impressive display of enormous, real pumpkins. 

There is so much myth and lore in the mountains though, that I feel like they could add 1-2 experiences that push into the “spooky and supernatural” real a bit more. Not sure where exactly to keep them separated from the family friendly aspects, but the area around Mystery mine, possibly the old queue path for Slidewinder, the place where Rudolph used to be… there are places it could definitely work. 

[brenthodge]

8 hours ago, DonHelbig said:

Dollywood’s Harvest Festival is favored by many seasoned, well-traveled park-goers over Kings Island’s Halloween Haunt and other Six Flags’ Halloween events, thanks to its family-friendly, festive autumn atmosphere, focus on live music and artisanal crafts, and its impressive display of enormous, real pumpkins. 

There is so much myth and lore in the mountains though, that I feel like they could add 1-2 experiences that push into the “spooky and supernatural” realm a bit more without compromising their values and getting into satanic/gore/violence topics. Not sure where exactly to keep them separated from the family friendly aspects, but the area around Mystery mine, possibly the old queue path for Slidewinder, the place where Rudolph used to be… there are places it could definitely work. 

[brenthodge]

9pm. Annie Lennox. Wow. It only took how many years to figure out how to program a fountain??

[BeeastFarmer]

32 minutes ago, brenthodge said:

9pm. Annie Lennox. Wow. It only took how many years to figure out how to program a fountain??

Can you expound?

[brenthodge]

5 minutes ago, BeeastFarmer said:

Can you expound?

Be at HAUNT - fountain at 9 (7,8,10 11 and 12) and you’ll see. 

[CoasterJack]

14 hours ago, BeeastFarmer said:

Can you expound?

There's an hourly show with probably the most pyrotechnics I've ever seen in a theme park. Lots of fire, cool music and lights. Would highly recommend anyone at Haunt to try and be on I-Street at the top of the hour. Strange the park has said anything and you can't find anything about it on the app.

[DonHelbig]

5 minutes ago, CoasterJack said:

There's an hourly show with probably the most pyrotechnics I've ever seen in a theme park. Lots of fire, cool music and lights. Would highly recommend anyone at Haunt to try and be on I-Street at the top of the hour. Strange the park has said anything and you can't find anything about it on the app.

They’d have to have people on the marketing side that would know the fountain show would be of more interest to audiences across all communication channels than pushing products like season pass, dining plans, drink plans, and maze access passes. It would inspire more people to plan a visit if the focus of their content was on experiences like the fountain show over products. It’s easier to get people to buy the products when they’re interested in checking out the experiences the park has to offer. 

They’ll post something soon on the fountain show because they’ll see people are talking about it on KIC and Tower Topics. But the event will be halfway over by then. 

[Diamondback_Is_King]

3 hours ago, CoasterJack said:

There's an hourly show with probably the most pyrotechnics I've ever seen in a theme park. Lots of fire, cool music and lights. Would highly recommend anyone at Haunt to try and be on I-Street at the top of the hour. Strange the park has said anything and you can't find anything about it on the app.

Can't wait to check it out on Friday!

[brenthodge]

9 hours ago, DonHelbig said:

They’d have to have people on the marketing side that would know the fountain show would be of more interest to audiences across all communication channels than pushing products like season pass, dining plans, drink plans, and maze access passes. It would inspire more people to plan a visit if the focus of their content was on experiences like the fountain show over products. It’s easier to get people to buy the products when they’re interested in checking out the experiences the park has to offer. 

They’ll post something soon on the fountain show because they’ll see people are talking about it on KIC and Tower Topics. But the event will be halfway over by then. 

AND then you can tie product back to the experience like “midnight desert party with exclusive viewing of the finale” from the I street restaurant from 10:30-12. I like the idea of “surprise and delight” with unadvertised things, but they need everything they do now to drive attendance and visibility to reinvigorate this post- merger brand. 

[BeeastFarmer]

^ususally I'd agree with driving attendance...but haunt are typically the busiest days of the year.  

Since Kings Island is so well penetrated, they want to just let things happen organically.  If the gate is open, they will come seems to be the mentality from corporate to KI.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

I don't see this being needed to drive attendance as much as it's needed to keep attendance where it was. If someone was on the fence about whether or not they should attend KI's Haunt, they might skip it because Kings Island/Six Flags has done a horrible job with promoting things this year. Yes, they can get a season pass with access to 40 parks for the price of 1 day at Busch Gardens Williamsburg or Dollywood, but what is there to entice them to come? There are 6 mazes that you now have to pay for and of which 5 are the same from the last few years. There are 4 "shows" — but actually one is an opening ceremony and another is a participation game show — with a fifth one that isn't advertised, even inside the park. As has been shared previously, it would take a more knowledgeable and competent marketing team to advertise the changes to the event well enough to maintain attendance.

 

Separately, I also wanted to share something I noticed on my visit to Cedar Point this weekend. They have some absolutely awesome Halloween shows up there that have lines comparable to some of their coasters (we waited an hour for a showing of Wake the Dead). Is there a good reason as to why Kings Island can't put on anything similar that might also draw a cult following? I doubt the budget would even change much to bring in something like Fangs After Dusk, which is more or less a rock n' roll live band put on by Cedar Point. Hot Blooded brought in its own sizeable crowds throughout its run, as did the street drum corps shows did throughout theirs. I don't think the "Kings Island is a family park" argument would work here either because Cedar Point has a show on the Main Midway (where literally all of the families are) with a 14+ age rating.

[Winterfestguy]

On 9/27/2025 at 10:54 PM, brenthodge said:

AND then you can tie product back to the experience like “midnight desert party with exclusive viewing of the finale” from the I street restaurant from 10:30-12. I like the idea of “surprise and delight” with unadvertised things, but they need everything they do now to drive attendance and visibility to reinvigorate this post- merger brand. 

There was one year at Haunt where they had a Halloween themed buffet in the International Street Restaurant. I remember looking out and seeing the fog overtake the old pedestals in the fountain as well as the scare actors roam around International Street. It’s a shame that SF misses good opportunities like the buffet/fountain show viewing from the restaurant.

[BeeastFarmer]

4 hours ago, Losantiville Mining Co. said:

I don't see this being needed to drive attendance as much as it's needed to keep attendance where it was. If someone was on the fence about whether or not they should attend KI's Haunt, they might skip it because Kings Island/Six Flags has done a horrible job with promoting things this year. Yes, they can get a season pass with access to 40 parks for the price of 1 day at Busch Gardens Williamsburg or Dollywood, but what is there to entice them to come? There are 6 mazes that you now have to pay for and of which 5 are the same from the last few years. There are 4 "shows" — but actually one is an opening ceremony and another is a participation game show — with a fifth one that isn't advertised, even inside the park. As has been shared previously, it would take a more knowledgeable and competent marketing team to advertise the changes to the event well enough to maintain attendance.

 

Separately, I also wanted to share something I noticed on my visit to Cedar Point this weekend. They have some absolutely awesome Halloween shows up there that have lines comparable to some of their coasters (we waited an hour for a showing of Wake the Dead). Is there a good reason as to why Kings Island can't put on anything similar that might also draw a cult following? I doubt the budget would even change much to bring in something like Fangs After Dusk, which is more or less a rock n' roll live band put on by Cedar Point. Hot Blooded brought in its own sizeable crowds throughout its run, as did the street drum corps shows did throughout theirs. I don't think the "Kings Island is a family park" argument would work here either because Cedar Point has a show on the Main Midway (where literally all of the families are) with a 14+ age rating.

But there is also the reality that the company will correct to market response. 

If people attend and have decent per caps, which they likely will because KI is so penetrated, they will spend the least and get a good return on a little investment. If attendance declines, and per caps with it, they will either bolster spending, or we turn into another Dorney or WoF.  

For haunt this year, it will be interesting to see how it all pans out. I keep hearing that the event feels off.  But that is from enthusiast friends. Other friends who are more casual are having the time of their lives and going every weekend....they are oblivious to our collective angst.  They are the epitome of ki passholders and are tantamount to the future of the park. 

[Diamondback_Is_King]

For those that went this past weekend, were the lines for buying the Haunted Attractions Pass as long as they were during opening night? Did they figure out an efficient way to give everyone a bracelet who bought one online?

[PKIVortex]

For those that went this past weekend, were the lines for buying the Haunted Attractions Pass as long as they were during opening night? Did they figure out an efficient way to give everyone a bracelet who bought one online?

I didn't see any major issues with that. They were redeeming, Haunt bands at 11a.m for the ones that had both Haunt and Fast Lane bands at the Fast Lane booth. I was able to get both mine very easily. This was on Sunday.

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[Losantiville Mining Co.]

3 hours ago, Winterfestguy said:

There was one year at Haunt where they had a Halloween themed buffet in the International Street Restaurant. I remember looking out and seeing the fog overtake the old pedestals in the fountain as well as the scare actors roam around International Street. It’s a shame that SF misses good opportunities like the buffet/fountain show viewing from the restaurant.

There was some variation on the Fright Feast buffet/dinner for at least a few years I believe starting around 2006(?) and was at one point held in the Wings restaurant (now Brewhouse). I don't know why they stopped hosting it, but Kings Island now seems to be lacking in standard VIP experiences like that overall. 

 

2 hours ago, BeeastFarmer said:

If people attend and have decent per caps, which they likely will because KI is so penetrated, they will spend the least and get a good return on a little investment. If attendance declines, and per caps with it, they will either bolster spending, or we turn into another Dorney or WoF.

I really just want to see some good shows come back to Kings Island overall. We were spoiled by the 50th anniversary entertainment, but now it feels like the park is falling off in terms of how much quality entertainment it puts on. Bringing in outside entertainment is good, but much like with F&B operations, a park shouldn't rely on third-parties for their shows if they hope to maintain quality. I also simply have an issue with the stunt shows being in the International Showplace which doesn't help my feelings on it at all.

If Kings Island falls from the higher tier of Six Flags parks, I think it'd just be another sign that the company doesn't understand or value their portfolio. A park like KI doesn't drop in rank like that unless it is willfully neglected. It would be nice to see some people who know how to run higher quality parks come into positions with power in Six Flags.

[disco2000]

[Diamondback_Is_King]

From the webcams, it looks like Haunt is empty. Curious if they will stop operating on Thursdays if crowds are this low...

[BeeastFarmer]

Anyone from KIC who goes tonight, the first Thursday night of Haunt, let us know how it is.  Looks dead from webcam.

[Timchat2]

The crowd is indeed small but it has been a beautiful night to be at the park. The Conjuring had no line whatsoever around 9PM but that might have been due to the new access pass procedure.