This. Outside of the park offering significant gate discounts on dicey weather days, forecasts of cold, rain, t-storms, etc are going to deter all but the most dedicated park goers.
Kings Dominion Goes Year-Round in 2023
- Thread starter Zachary
- Start date
Attendance reported by anyone that has went and posted. Every trip report says the crowd was light. Even on nice weather days. Like the report above that says there were 40 people in the park with a 35° day. If that’s all that shows up on a 35° day, there can’t be A lot of people showing up on the other days
I don’t think this gives them the ability to charge more for season passes. Obviously, a few people are interested in going this time of year and they aren’t going to pay more for these kind of operations for a few weeks. Nobody is going to buy a season pass because they are open for six hour days in the winter time that wouldn’t buy a season pass anyways for their summer fall and winter fest season.
It also just gives the meal plan season pass holders more free meals and drinks. I would guess the high majority of people attending during these months are local season pass holders and are not bringing in any extra revenue
I’m just having a great time watching people defend a failed business decision on this board. Lol.
My biggest concern is that we are going to see cuts in other areas of normal operations this year to make up for the losses of these two months
I don’t think this gives them the ability to charge more for season passes. Obviously, a few people are interested in going this time of year and they aren’t going to pay more for these kind of operations for a few weeks. Nobody is going to buy a season pass because they are open for six hour days in the winter time that wouldn’t buy a season pass anyways for their summer fall and winter fest season.
It also just gives the meal plan season pass holders more free meals and drinks. I would guess the high majority of people attending during these months are local season pass holders and are not bringing in any extra revenue
I’m just having a great time watching people defend a failed business decision on this board. Lol.
My biggest concern is that we are going to see cuts in other areas of normal operations this year to make up for the losses of these two months
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Do you like have anything else to do than viciously attack a place a we all enjoy and use to get a break from life? Honestly. Why do you come on here to complain every time the park closes due to weather? Go watch The Last of Us or something. Shit.
I don’t think making angry assertions based on unsubstantiated assumptions really does much to support your position. In fact, I imagine that others (like me) who don’t have any interest in visiting a park in the winter are fairly repelled by both your tone and your compete lack of data.
Personally, I see no value in driving an hour and a half to a park, when it is freezing outside. On the few occasions that I have visited either KD or BGW since the beginning of 2023, I have checked the weather first and have never had to deal with an early closure. Regardless, I don‘t begrudge other people the opportunity to visit during these colder months and I don’t assume I have any insight into either park’s finances. And I certainly can’t fathom being angry about it.
Finally discovered what the "ignore" button does. It's super annoying when these types of people come on here thinking they're more intelligent than those who've been here since around the start of the 2010s (I mean I've only been here for almost six years, but) and keep defending their point of view, getting to the point where they just name-call KD's winter ops as a "failed business decision." Even BGW decided to close today.
Lol, I only know when those posts happen because of the reactions from others! I love that button sometimes.
I brought this up in the past but I do think it’s worth discussing somewhat in this context:
We’ve seen a few times that KD closed up now when BGW didn’t. Why do you think KD has so few people they need to close and BGW doesn’t?
Personally I think that the combination of BGW having a better event (right now) along with more/bigger heated indoor areas massively tips the scales. If I were to make that drive right now I would easily pick BGW over KD due to those things.
We’ve seen a few times that KD closed up now when BGW didn’t. Why do you think KD has so few people they need to close and BGW doesn’t?
Personally I think that the combination of BGW having a better event (right now) along with more/bigger heated indoor areas massively tips the scales. If I were to make that drive right now I would easily pick BGW over KD due to those things.
I got to wonder if part of the attendance issue for KD is due to lack of general awareness too?
True.
Almost feels like one of those “designed to fail” things. Not advertising, lacking indoor space, no event to be a draw.
But that anyone showed up at all may be all the park needs to consider it successful. We just don't know
Don't see that reasoning. Did you see the weather Friday or early Saturday? Why the hell would you go in 35 degrees, or 40 and rain, when there are pretty days in the upper 40s and 50s? I doubt many people are aware of how easily the park can close early either -- they've never tried to go when the weather is questionable.
If SFNE where to go year round, yes they would need to run everything down into the 30s because it's like that too often, but there's still be someone saying if there isn't plenty to do down into the 20s why bother?
Does BGW really have more indoor spaces? Of the eateries that are open right now, KD has Border Burrito, Country Kitchen, Victoria’s, and the heated tent by Juke Box Diner. BGW just has the Festhaus (and Grogan’s, but that’s not really a restaurant).
At the park today, talking to some staff, apparently Jungle X will open on March 11.
When the area opens, not all the coasters are planned to open. But by the week prior to Hanover school's spring break - which is the first week of April - or during spring break week itself, the remaining couple of coasters will open.
Otherwise both Outpost and Chicken Shack will open with the area, with Jungle Market Eatery opening a week or two later. The Outpost news is big for me, as there in early March, with some still potentially cooler days, it will be nice to have another indoor restaurant; where otherwise I'm just looking forward to some good ol' prime rib, chicken, and sausage
Is there any word on what rides/coasters will be open in Jungle X on the 11th? If Tumbili is open, that might tip the scales for me to make the trip worth it. If lines are short that will be great. If we don't know, then I'll be anxiously awaiting reports of what was open by folks here who visit on the 11th.
Maybe KD is less willing to make its staff work in abominable conditions? Maybe more people know that BGW is open, so they have more guests and greater incentive to stay open. Maybe KD is still figuring out how they want to conduct year round ops, since this is their first attempt. Who knows. There are many possible explanations, and we don't have enough data to make any kind of informed guess.
No clue if it was like this before, or if it even means anything, but Blue Ridge Tollway and Flying Eagles are listed on the map in the Kings Dominion app.
And obviously you have nothing better to do than defend a stupid business decision by and amusement park. Amusement park locals will defend anything their park does No matter how stupid
If the weather forecast, is that bad, I don’t see why they even open the gates to start with. As I said a few times, this whole event depends on 50° days and there are a few of them during these months. It’s a bad business decision.
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If people are waiting for 50 degree days, maybe it's because there are so many of them during the week. That's why I hypothetically mentioned SFNE, partially it's relative to what you're used to, not completely of course. Also I think that mid-40s and sunny and not windy would be better than any day I've been to KD this year.
One thing is kids have been a big part of the turnout. That's still a lot more weather dependent than shows and bars at BG but doesn't have as sharp a cutoff as coasters. Whether the whole thing is a bad business decision I leave up to the park, other than trying to understand it enough to know what's going on.
You don't know if it's a stupid move. It really is that simple.
I'm on record as being HIGHLY skeptical of the feasibility of year-round ops at KD. That said, without analyzing their books, none of us know whether or not it has actually been successful at reducing off-season losses.
35°, and I'm about to make the hour and a half drive to KD. (And guess what... I don't plan on getting on a single coaster!!!)