We’re sharing some of our favorite moments during the different seasons of park operations. Seasonal parks all around the country are opening up for the start of a new year of operation! It won’t be long before we’re back to enjoying more of these special moments with the fun rides, cool shows, and the evening lights.
We want to hear your favorite moments too. Please share yours in the comments at the end.
Spring
Krystal – My favorite Spring moment is obviously opening day. Spring is here and we have over 100 days of fun ahead of us! After being in hibernation for three months, I have all my excitement built up. I will soon be able to go back to hearing all the familiar sounds, and smelling all the foods. This is the time that you can check out what is new, and who has come back from last year. One of my favorite new things that they change each year, is the merchandise. From coffee mugs to t-shirts, sometimes designs stays the same, and sometimes they change it up.
Mike – Like Krystal mentioned, discovering what is new is a special thing to do those first couple visits. Park attraction updates, new signage, improved landscaping, a modified queue, a change in the menu or drink options, it is like a game to spot what is new. It is cool to notice employees from previous years who have returned. Sometimes even to a higher, more authoritative leadership role. Those early season days, when the crowds are still very light and the park is open all day on weekdays… those are some special times.
Summer
Who doesn’t love Summer? My favorite thing about this season is that Kings Island is open everyday. When I feel like going, I can jump into my car and just go. Living so close to the park, I really enjoy being able to fly by the seat of my pants, and go to the park. It is also a great way to just let my kids get some energy out before bed time. It also works when I am needing some “me time” for a few hours. I enjoy this season as well because the shows are all playing. I really enjoy 4th of July specifically, because the park stays open for two extra hours. They always put on a great firework display that is about ten-times bigger than their typical end of the day display.
Taking a day off of work and enjoying a morning to visit the Soak City waterpark. That is special. The weeknight afternoons and evenings that are light are the best. Simply walking around the park, enjoying the moments when the sun is setting and the park lights start coming on is tip top among my special moments. I’m a fan of being warm, I love it when the weather is good and hot. Staying late in the Summer you get the opportunity to be one of the last riders on The Beast. Riding The Beast at night and sitting toward the back… it is chilling to look over your shoulder, into the dark woods behind the roller coaster.
Fall – Halloween Haunt
Fall is one of my top favorite times because the weather is getting cooler and the crowds are calming down. I enjoy the shows and the haunt mazes this time of the year. This is the last part of the season when majority of the rides are still running. This is a bittersweet moment for me. Walking up to the entrance and hearing The Undertaker always brings a new excitement. I wonder what new mazes and shows have come. I also take a moment this season to to get one last ride on my favorite rides.
The weeks before the haunt officially begins and props start appearing around the park is pretty special. During the haunt, it is fun to recognize “scareactors” through their make-up. Many of them previously worked in another area of the park. Like Krystal mentioned, hearing The Undertaker’s voice as we approach the entrance is a special treat. Sitting among the fog and lights on Coney Mall, eating a late Subway meal while the performers circulate, making kids scream up and down Coney Mall, that’s my favorite moment of the Halloween Haunt.
WinterFest
Everything about this time is my favorite! I really can’t decide. From the shows, to being able to ride rides, I have to claim everything to be my favorite. This is the time of the year everyone is bundled up and creating memories with their families. They even offer holiday like foods which really brings the Winter wonderland to life, with the lights and music and shows.
International Street is pretty spectacular during WinterFest. Watching people emerge from the admission entrance onto International Street, they first see the lights, the Eiffel Tower, the ice skating and their expression is all excitement and holiday magic! The moment the new show performers come out with energy, and actually make eye contact with you, as you sit in the audience. It is then, that it sinks in how live the shows are.
» Now it is your turn. What are your favorite moments during the season?
Photo credit: Roller coaster at dusk – CC0