Future Crowd Levels and Operations

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What is it like going into November and December? I live in Raleigh, NC, and so far I’ve made five trips in the past few months. Three of the four were pretty easy days, one was manageable but not bad. Seeing as how I had luck the previous four times, I got a Platinum Pass (since both Kings Dominion and Carowinds are manageable and equidistant from me in different directions) but chose to get the one time complimentary Fast Lane during the end of September on a visit (which was ironically almost a walk-on for everything). I wish I had better sense to redeem it later because I made the trip all the way up yesterday, and oh boy, there were Cedar Point-level wait times pretty much all around.


(TBH, I think from now on I’ll invest in the Fast Lane. It almost seems like insurance if you’re not necessarily right next door to the place. I’d rather have a 3-hour drive home having much more fun when you’re feeling amazing having absorbed everything versus that drive I just made home now.)
 
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Do you think it will be crazy crowded this Saturday with good weather, or will there be less interest in Haunt since it's after Halloween, and that will keep people away? I"m going in any case, but wondering what I'm in for.
 
Crunchewy said:
Do you think it will be crazy crowded this Saturday with good weather, or will there be less interest in Haunt since it's after Halloween, and that will keep people away? I"m going in any case, but wondering what I'm in for.
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IIRC in past years when they were open post-Halloween without Haunt, it was very low price for tickets, suggesting the park struggled to bring in guests. I'm not sure having Haunt in November makes it any more enticing to attend those days. A fall fest still make sense in November, but after Halloween, scary events are done for the year in my view.
 
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RollyCoaster said:
It’s a fairly busy Friday. Albeit small, but waits are apparent at almost every attraction. 30 minutes for Dominator, 20 for Backlot, 45 for Twisted. Wait times for houses are ranging from 5-25 minutes. An hour for Tollway. I’d predict the park to be slammed tomorrow, but don’t take my word for it.
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It was a fairly light crowd earlier, but once Haunt started it was really crowded with long lines for the rides. So my hope that people would have lost interest after Halloween did not come to pass. Oh well. Was still a fun day/night.
 
Based on the photos I’m seeing in the other threads (Covid-19’s Impacts on BGW, Daily Crowd), the crowds seem outrageous. Does anyone think things will slack off once Spring Break is over?
 
ludmarco said:
Based on the photos I’m seeing in the other threads (Covid-19’s Impacts on BGW, Daily Crowd), the crowds seem outrageous. Does anyone think things will slack off once Spring Break is over?
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I think it's likely but KD will also opening right before Memorial Day and will draw more from Nova then Busch likely is so I would expect large crowds if KD allows them. But KD also appeared to have a tighter hand on attendance the BGW did during their winter events so they may be more restrictive on capacity out of choice. Do in other words we will have to wait and see.
 
Tbh I didn't see anything about reservations on the website, otherwise I would have registered...
 
Makes me wonder if CF/KD had had the right idea after all to not open until late May. I think they had more info to work with concerning hiring and if the GP would be willing to visit the park if they could be vaccinated. Plus, after seeing what has been going on with BGW the last couple of weeks, KD might keep a tighter reign on daily attendance.

I think the reservations will start about a month before the official opening. So, that puts it around the last week of April.
 
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Anyone got an idea what tomorrow will look like? I'm thinking regular weekend crowds, however it is a holiday...
 
Typically Memorial Day itself has been one of the less busy holidays of the season but with people being shut in their houses for the past year and a half and less than stellar weather over the weekend...

It's a crapshoot, I hope it won't be busy for you.
 
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It’s cold and drizzly today and it’s pretty darn crowded. I’d expect the same, if not more tomorrow.
 
I'll be at the park this coming Sunday. I have a few questions. I've noticed that reservations are not sold out for July 4, 2021. However, if you look at July 3rd, 2021 reservations are filled. Are there more people planning on visiting the park on Saturday; rather than 4th of July day? I am aware that most people might not work weekends, and then they take the Monday off as well if the federal Government does not already give it to them. Or is this a result of the park having more Saturday visitors rather than Sunday? Or are people at the beach?

I'm fully aware of KD as a park because I have been there so many times over the years. Not ever, have I visited the park on a Sunday. But I assume, it is no different than a Saturday.
 
MikeLovesKD said:
I'll be at the park this coming Sunday. I have a few questions. I've noticed that reservations are not sold out for July 4, 2021. However, if you look at July 3rd, 2021 reservations are filled. Are there more people planning on visiting the park on Saturday; rather than 4th of July day? I am aware that most people might not work weekends, and then they take the Monday off as well if the federal Government does not already give it to them. Or is this a result of the park having more Saturday visitors rather than Sunday? Or are people at the beach?

I'm fully aware of KD as a park because I have been there so many times over the years. Not ever, have I visited the park on a Sunday. But I assume, it is no different than a Saturday.
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In general at parks Sundays are usually less crowded than Saturdays, but it is a holiday, so all bets are off.
 
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I may be misunderstanding @Crunchewy, but my reading of the answer was that a normal Sunday is less crowded, but because of the three-day holiday that may or may not be the case this weekend. That is my view, as well. Sundays are normally lighter. It appears that despite the three-day weekend, fewer people currently have reservations for this Sunday, as well. That said, it could easily change, especially since July 4th crowds tend to be large.
 
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They're not doing anything special for the 4th so there could still be more people going Saturday and the difference will just be smaller than usual. They don't have to fill up to be crowded.

I used to only go Saturday because my companion didn't want to wait a day. Did assume Sunday would be better, but underestimated the difference. Realize that any difference of numbers is exaggerated in wait times. I haven't been to a park on a Saturday except after 8 PM since 2010, out of hundreds of visits.
 
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I went two Fridays ago and it was busier then I remember it being on a normal Friday. I would suspect Sunday's would be the same. Also, their losing a lot of money closing at 7. When we had to leave 7 because the park closed there were still people everywhere.
 
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MikeLovesKD said:
So your betting money that the park will look like a Saturday that day? Why aren't the reservations booked then.
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I'm not a betting man, so no. lol. But as Nicole said, I meant that normally Sundays are less crowded, but since this particular Sunday is a holiday and because at least some have off on Monday (I do!), this particular Sunday may be more crowded than normal.
 
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