Festhaus Expansion Idea?

[kingsislandfan1972]

I always had this thought that they should expand Festhaus parts of it. It being (in my opinion) a very popular spot to eat your food at usually on busy summer days it can be hard to find a spot available to sit down at. I've always thought that maybe there was some way they could expand it with more seating and maybe even add another place to get food from, I've always thought this especially during WinterFest. I wonder if this has ever crossed anybodys mind as an possible idea.

[Timchat2]

It's been discussed before but I'll never fully understand why a city with such strong German roots as Cincinnati, home to one of the largest Oktoberfest celebrations in the U.S. along with a number of regional events, doesn't translate to more demand for German music and food at Kings Island. At this point I'd just settle for German music to play in the area in front of the Festhaus instead of the pop music from Action Zone.

Das Festhaus at Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a great example of how a German food and entertainment hall can be done right at a theme park. BGW had made some iffy decisions with the shows in the last ten years but they seem to be coming back to realizing the timeless appeal of German music and dance.

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

They could probably add about 3,200sf of space if they expanded into the service courtyard between the Swiss building and the Festhaus. This could be enough space to move the kitchens back into the new space, freeing some additional space for more tables. Some reconfigurations would need to be done between the restrooms, offices, and whatever else is in that northwest corner of the FH, but I think it could do some good for the capacity. There would need to be some areas with even worse sightlines for the shows. The other side of International Street has a much narrower service area, so there may still be some good room for this one to maintain functionality. 

Harmony Hall at Carowinds is very nice because it has three food stalls and one central checkout location. There are also three food lines in the Festhaus, the difference being that HH separates the "Grill" and "Pizza" lines where the FH has two lines that serve both. If this Festhaus addition were to be built I'd like to see three food stalls go in toward where the normal Festhaus (LaRosa's) food line is, then also move Panda Express (or a new dining location) over to that new line. This could provide a space for Oktoberfest foods while allowing it to be easily changed depending on the season. It would also allow both kitchens to be combined into one big ghost kitchen (like I believe Harmony Hall has) where the food is prepared together and taken to each serving counter. Like with Kings Island and Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Fiesta Texas has a large food hall in their German-themed section. I think it just got a big renovation and even has some Oktoberfest-style food available in it.

26 minutes ago, Timchat2 said:

It's been discussed before but I'll never fully understand why a city with such strong German roots as Cincinnati, home to one of the largest Oktoberfest celebrations in the U.S. along with a number of regional events, doesn't translate to more demand for German music and food at Kings Island. At this point I'd just settle for German music to play in the area in front of the Festhaus instead of the pop music from Action Zone.

Part of this issue may be that the Oktoberfest theme isn't very strong at Kings Island like it is at those regional events. Guests may be intrigued by bratwursts, beer, and big pretzels, but when that is the only food available (and is not on the meal plan) they may not be as into it. There is also the fact that the park has been treated as an amusement park with theming rather than being a theme park with thrilling amusements. The themed festival atmosphere might help get guests into the mood for German foods: that simply does not exist at KI right now. I have a dream that we can see a New Oktoberfest area that encompasses the current Oktoberfest and Action Zone, but I have a horrible feeling that Six Flags will either try to shove DC characters into AZ or choose to let the area continue to sit there. Imagine if they put up more permanent decorations and overall German/Bavarian/Oktoberfest theming. Banshee and The Bat could probably stay the same, but a festival overlay would make the area feel more lively overall.

[BlondyRidesOn]

From what I have heard, the brats and mettwursts that they introduced in 2013 with Christian Morlein Biergarten  (Now the Mercado) did not sell well (They were very delicious in my opinion though). At the very least, I'd be 100% in favor of Gliers Goetta being sold at the park. At several German festivals I've seen vendors serving Goetta Cheese Fries. They could sell something like that or a Goetta burger on a pretzel bun with traditional burger toppings (but with Swiss cheese instead of American cheese). 

Just an idea I had.

[cdubbs727]

On 7/22/2025 at 3:23 PM, kingsislandfan1972 said:

I always had this thought that they should expand Festhaus parts of it. It being (in my opinion) a very popular spot to eat your food at usually on busy summer days it can be hard to find a spot available to sit down at. I've always thought that maybe there was some way they could expand it with more seating and maybe even add another place to get food from, I've always thought this especially during WinterFest. I wonder if this has ever crossed anybodys mind as an possible idea.

I definitely think that Festhaus needs some TLC (although they might already play "No Scrubs" from time to time). It used to be one of the jewels of the park; you could go in, get a decent meal and watch a pretty good ice show. Now, it feels like a sloppy food court where the entertainment is an afterthought. I tend to like the La Rosa's pizza at Kings Island, but the pizza I get in the Festhaus is reliably cardboard-y and I don't care for Panda Express. I've taken to just grabbing food from Grain N' Grill or Mercado and then joining my group at Festhaus to eat it (that said, I like that you can get beer). 

Would love them to really restore it to its former glory. Really put an effort into making a great show in there and think about enhancing the food offerings. I said this in another post, but finding a way to make it an international-type of eatery with maybe Mexican, German, Chinese and American fare could be good. 

[Losantiville Mining Co.]

Renovate the food serving lines/register setups to be more like Harmony Hall and put in an American Fare (hot dogs/hamburgers), Chinese Fare (Panda Express), and an Italian Fare (LaRosa's pizza) each as its own line. They've got Mexican fare taken care of at Enrique's and the BBQ at Coney Bar-B-Que, so those may be redundant. Someone else mentioned that the Festhaus might also be a good place for the stunt show to move to. Whatever they do, I just hope it is comprehensive and done well. We do not need to see the building become another soulless gray and beige eatery like so many places like to do these days.

[kingsislandfan1972]

8 hours ago, cdubbs727 said:

I definitely think that Festhaus needs some TLC (although they might already play "No Scrubs" from time to time). It used to be one of the jewels of the park; you could go in, get a decent meal and watch a pretty good ice show. Now, it feels like a sloppy food court where the entertainment is an afterthought. I tend to like the La Rosa's pizza at Kings Island, but the pizza I get in the Festhaus is reliably cardboard-y and I don't care for Panda Express. I've taken to just grabbing food from Grain N' Grill or Mercado and then joining my group at Festhaus to eat it (that said, I like that you can get beer). 

Would love them to really restore it to its former glory. Really put an effort into making a great show in there and think about enhancing the food offerings. I said this in another post, but finding a way to make it an international-type of eatery with maybe Mexican, German, Chinese and American fare could be good. 

I agree, I would love it if they had different food options in the Festhaus especially German food to go along with the theming, even perhaps a show that goes along with theming of it too would be a good idea.