We went on Friday and the crowds didnt seem that bad to me.  We did the cookie decorating thing and the cookies are so so good!

I went twice this past weekend and Saturday's crowds were bigger than Friday's. It seems like once the sun goes down, there park recieves an influx of visitors (more so than when Winterfest opens).

Yes, Saturday`s crowds were big.  When we left around 9:15, the rows in the parking lot were completely full until past the south exit, which is a good indication at how crowded it was.  

I am glad that KI is getting this large turnout.  All reviews I have seen have been nothing but positive.  It will be interesting to see what the attendance will be like this weekend since this will be the first weekend with really cold weather forecast.

We went Saturday evening, and had a great time. The only low point was the front gate and parking entry. Some folks have trouble getting their pass to scan apparently, and nothing happens until a gate attendant notices and comes to their aid. Once through the gate, folks just do dumb stuff. A passenger got out of the fan in front of me, move a bunch of cones (stacked them), and got back in the van so they could cut across lanes. It's soooo much easier if folks just go where Security directs them and/or follows the car in front! It took us about 30 minutes to navigate the entry and park, and we were sitting motionless most of the time. I guess I'm in the minority, but I'm just /not/ a fan of the free-for-all, all-park-traffic main gate funnel.

Last night was quite busy for it being a Sunday. 

I am absolutely in love with this event. The shows have been sooooo amazing! I think the shows are at such a high caliber. I hope that flows through to the regular season...these shows are so great! 

Not only the shows but the live entertainment and characters.  I would love to see street entertainment like the Holly Jolly Trolley in the summer.  The amount of energy at the event is simply amazing.  

Winterfest at Kings Island, in my opinion, has a magical vibe to it.  Seems very akin to a Disney park.  As I have said before, KI and Cedar Fair have done themselves well.  This is a top notch event.  It even rivals, in my opinion Dollywood`s Christmas in the Smokies.

Makes me so happy to hear all the good responses to Kings Island's WinterFest!  Who would have thought it would be compared to a Disney park, and Dollywood's event?  I am excited for the future of the park, to see what they have in store for everyone!  

4 hours ago, Shaggy said:

For those that attended this past weekend... what were crowds like?  (I am selfishly hoping big - I want KI to experience a great reward for their hard labor!)

I was there Friday and was impressed at the crowds.  Thin early, but when I left around 930, it looked like a Saturday in July.  I also saw many people buying things.  I myself bought a long sleeve t-shirt and a souvenir The Beast mug.  The hot chocolate was great, but the mug was the main goal, haha.

Saturday was PACKED! Sunday was just short of packed. There seemed to be more people in attendance than at Haunt. Yay! I really think word got out to the masses after opening weekend. 

Also.... I’m surprised that I haven’t read any reviews of the Christmas overlay of Boo Blasters. There are black ornaments, some purple garland and the “Boos” are wearing Santa hats,.. lol!

KI really spared no expense on theming 

Yeah, those Santa-hated ghosts shocked me a little. And then a certain someone shot at it again just to get a rise out of me lol  (it was all in good fun!)

On 12/2/2017 at 6:10 PM, Gannersdaddy said:

Mystic Timbers still smooth and fun (funny that today is warmer than the last night of Haunt )

@Gannersdaddy Thank you so much for sharing this!  I had fun spending a little time with you and loved seeing "Ganner" get so excited.   I don't know why a MT photo with mittens makes me so happy.... but it totally does!

Kings Island just updated their WinterFest calendar and has changed the hours!!!  New hours for Saturdays only, the park now opens at 4 PM instead of 5 PM..

Info at https://www.visitkingsisland.com/explore/calendar-and-hours

13 minutes ago, Imperial79 said:

Kings Island just updated their WinterFest calendar and has changed the hours!!!  New hours for Saturdays only, the park now opens at 4 PM instead of 5 PM..

Info at https://www.visitkingsisland.com/explore/calendar-and-hours

So does anyone here know what time International Street opens on Saturdays now? I'll be visiting with my mom on the 16th, so I need to know.

2 hours ago, Imperial79 said:

Kings Island just updated their WinterFest calendar and has changed the hours!!!  New hours for Saturdays only, the park now opens at 4 PM instead of 5 PM..

Info at https://www.visitkingsisland.com/explore/calendar-and-hours

I called to make sure it just was not just International Street, and the representative I spoke to said that the whole park will be open at 4. It may mean that the front entrance may open at 3:30 or as early as 3, but if it were to open early, I could see them opening I-Street at 3:30.

So what's the procedure for re-opening coaster inspections in terms of snow removal?  That's over 3,000 ft of track to shovel off (sans the Shed, station, and tunnel).  

Also, I wonder how ice affects the brakes...

Good question.  Although, I would think the first priority would be given to clearing the parking lot and all the midway paths before opening a ride.  

There was one time I went down to Dollywood a few years ago.  They didn`t open one day because of the snow.  The next day they opened a couple hours late, and the entire Timber Canyon area of the park (and all the coasters) were closed.  They ended up closing the park after only a couple of hours because of the cold and light attendance numbers.

On 12/5/2017 at 6:17 AM, upstop said:

Also.... I’m surprised that I haven’t read any reviews of the Christmas overlay of Boo Blasters. There are black ornaments, some purple garland and the “Boos” are wearing Santa hats,.. lol!

The park has taken pretty good care of the ride this year. I assume it operated well, effects and all?

Yes. Only one prop was stuck... the flower pot guy about mid course was stuck in the up position... lol. What does he usually say? Is it “hey ho gotta go”? 

On 12/4/2017 at 10:38 AM, Shaggy said:

I don't think many know the basic stuff that has to happen before decorating.  Back during the original Winterfest, landscaping crews actually pruned all trees and bushes before lights could be strung.  But the most amazing thing was... on International Street, they hand picked/snipped off all remaining leaves from the trees.  Not sure if they still do it, but even so, its a massive undertaking.

Part of my amazement this year was how quickly they managed to pull it off.  Yes, they did a lot of prep work - but 75% of the decorating was done in a 3-week time period.  That's craaaaaazy.

My understanding is that the work crew worked until 4am the morning of the event to finalize lighting and testing. Bravo! They did a fantastic job!

On 12/6/2017 at 8:49 PM, silver2005 said:

So what's the procedure for re-opening coaster inspections in terms of snow removal?  That's over 3,000 ft of track to shovel off (sans the Shed, station, and tunnel).  

Also, I wonder how ice affects the brakes...

Honestly, I doubt they would open if there is accumulating snow on the track. 

@IndyGuy4KI @malem

Can we move this thread to the Kings Island forum, since it is no longer a "coming attraction"?

Looks Like @malem got it.

So, who is at the park tonight?  From the looks of the Webcam, it does not appear to be crowded.

Given the temperature, the crowd looks solid. Also, it's 24 degrees and Mystic Timbers is open. Awesome!

I am very tempted to come down tomorrow to see the park in the snow.

41 minutes ago, malem said:

I am very tempted to come down tomorrow to see the park in the snow.

But will you dress appropriately for the weather?

3 minutes ago, jcgoble3 said:

But will you dress appropriately for the weather?

@malem appropriate yes! 

Seeing that the low is 18° tomorrow night, I'd probably be wearing a coat.

I've had an odd disliking of coats going back to when I was a kid, so I've slowly acclimated myself to stay warm in cold conditions. I wouldn't advise anyone to wear shorts & a t-shirt in 30° weather; hypothermia isn't something to mess around with.