Consider getting the meal plan KD's food is well worth the price of the plan.
Kings Dominion Season Passes
- Thread starter I305Evan
- Start date
Similar to the perk offered earlier this year - where at that time it was only a $10 reward - this time they've upped it to $15
Seems they're perhaps trying incentivize people to come out for the start of Grand Carnivale, and back again a week or two later (which is smart).
Seems they're perhaps trying incentivize people to come out for the start of Grand Carnivale, and back again a week or two later (which is smart).
How does the bring a friend system work? Can you buy a ticket online with your discount, or does it need to be done at the gate?
They can be bought online. In fact, I think maybe they have to be? Not sure about that, though. They are on the daily tickets page:
So I just noticed some changes with the 2024 silver passes, seems in conjunction with the event lineup announcement today. Silver passes are now only valid through Labor Day.
Im pretty sure that they advertised 2024 silver passes to include fall daytime visits, and now it shows as valid through Labor Day only. It makes sense why they made the change, but it's gonna look really bad to the guests who bought the silver passes with the daytime fall visits in mind.
Current season pass benefits page found here.
Im pretty sure that they advertised 2024 silver passes to include fall daytime visits, and now it shows as valid through Labor Day only. It makes sense why they made the change, but it's gonna look really bad to the guests who bought the silver passes with the daytime fall visits in mind.
Current season pass benefits page found here.
Silver passes just went on sale for 2024vso that isn't an issue. In 2023 they were good for day fall visits.
The 2024 silver passes went on sale the same time as the gold and prestige passes back in August of 2023. Here's a link using the wayback machine that shows the pass holder benefits advertised in late August for the 2024 passes.
I know two families that got silver passes, they have small children where they dont feel the need for haunt accesss, and are not interested in winterfest. They both renewed their silver season passes for 2024 back in august. One of them already figured out the new terms and aren't happy with the shortened season for them, unless they make the upgrade to gold for the family.
Edit: The second family figured out the changes with the shortened season pass usage as well, they're not happy as well. I also changed the tone a bit in the first sentence, the last couple years of the silver pass have been quite different in how its been presented in the past, so the confusion on when all of the passes are up for sale is definitely valid.
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It's a straight bait and switch. They'll have to honor the original deal, at least for those who bought under those prior conditions.
@S23X has either of the families you know about reached out to the park? Preferably via email if that's an option? If they have/do, we would love to see those emails.
If not, I can try on behalf of KDFans, but I don't know if I'll get anywhere.
If not, I can try on behalf of KDFans, but I don't know if I'll get anywhere.
So I finally heard back from one of the families who contacted the park via email, they called them back a day or two later explaining that they would receive an email notification. The email stated that their silver passes are now gold passes, due to the recent change to cut silver passes back to visits though Labor Day. This email was sent back closer to opening day, presumably to all the silver pass holders who were in the same issue as them.
Their physical season pass cards are still the silver ones, but the passes on their apps are now the gold ones.
Why are KD's season passes so much cheaper than BGW's? We can get 2 gold passes for the price of one Unlimited Membership or 1 gold and 1 prestige for considerably cheaper than 2 Unlimited Memberships. As having never gone to KD is the quality that much of a drop off? Or is it more bang for your buck?
in my opinion, the KD gold pass is a much better value, and money much better spent. You can get a gold pass and all season dining for the same price as just a pass at BGW, and BGW's quality has dipped so much in recent years (Honestly, it's been on a slide since AB sold the parks) that it's really a no brainer.
My take is that KD under prices their season passes a fair amount. However they don't really max out the park potential in terms of shows, opening days, or events, so it's a bit of a wash.
BGW still has a full schedule, even if they've cheapened a lot of the park experience. Not sure how sustainable that is in the long run or an economic downturn, but they are making it work for now.
This is my perspective too. I’m not quite ready to say KD is the better park than BGW, though it’s certainly operated better, and they continue making improvements that close the quality gap with BGW. The park is beautiful, well maintained, friendly, has great food, and the theming continues to improve.
The difference in quality between the two parks, in my opinion, is small enough that the vastly less expensive KD passes are hands-down the better value. Like @Riboflavenus said, it’s a no brainer.
And can’t forget the major part of this that seems to get left out:
The BGW passes get you WCUSA, which (IMO) offers a FAR better water park experience to Soak City.
Maybe, but it's also not physically close enough to have a similar level of convenience to experience both parks in the same day without driving between them.
I can imagine for parents and the lazy people like me that the value of Soak City being integrated into KD makes up for much of the difference in experience.
Now if PRKS added a free and convenient shuttle between their gates so it'd simply be a matter of jumping aboard to hop parks, that calculus may change.
Again, my opinion, but it being separate enhances the experience to me. On days I have 0 desire to be in the dry park I don’t have to deal with it at all. At KD I hated wanting to do mostly water park and having to carry my water park stuff through the park and the crowds.
A BGW pass doesn't just automatically get you WCUSA—it requires an extra cost that typically adds $40-ish dollars to an Unlimited membership.
At currently listed retail prices:
- KD w/ Water Park Gold: $120
- BGW Only Unlimited: $261
- BGW w/ Water Park Unlimited: $300
Given the quality of Kings Dominion's special events (all of which I prefer to their BGW equivalents sans Food & Wine), the absurd deals that are the meal and drink plans at KD for even semi-frequent visitors, and the lighter crowds on all but the absolute worst days at KD, I definitely think KD is the vastly, vastly superior value. The delta is honestly so enormous that I can't fathom anyone actually coming to a different conclusion right now.
Not saying KD is the right choice for everyone of course—but it is, 100%, the better value.
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