WinterFest 2022
- Thread starter mtorange
- Start date
Had a great time at the event last night. Park was a beautiful as ever, although I noticed a few small things that haven’t been finished yet. A few thoughts and observations:
- They’ve updated the main display a bit in Winterfest Way (Candy Apple Grove). This area remains the most high-tech light display in the park, but they’ve completely changed changed the soundtrack here this year and the lights seem better synced to the lights with more intricate patterns. They have hundreds of small “orbs” in all the central planters that sync with the rest of the lights and it looks really cool. A few small critiques: some trees are still missing lights (you can see that their control boxes have been set up) and I disliked one of the songs which was a mashup of All I Want for Christmas Is You with a couple of random non-Christmas pop songs.
- Talent is top-notch as always this year. The woman who sings Santa Tell Me and All I Want for Christmas is You in Cool Yule on the Grand Bandstand was phenomenal.
- There are some new large light-up snowflakes decorations all around the ice rink on International Street. They look nice.
- Contrary to @RollyCoaster‘s experience that all the food locations were open, Dogwood’s Grill and the restaurant formerly known as Mac Bowl were both closed. Only one line was open inside Country Kitchen with the line stretching throughout the restaurant and out the doors to the back patio by the pond. I waited about 15 minutes at Grain & Grill (which wasn’t my first choice since I wanted to try some of the holiday food, but the lines were too long), but the park was definitely unprepared for the crowds last night.
- On the other hand, ride operations were great. They were churning trains out at both Twisted Timbers and Dominator. KD has really improved their ride operations this year and it showed yesterday.
- The relocation of the Old Virginia Gazebo to the area across from the Parched Pig near the log flume was a horrible idea. Even a small crowd gathered to watch the Mistletones or the Humbugs would all but completely block the flow of traffic moving between Old Virginia and International Street. Just horrible bottlenecking. It also made watching the show uncomfortable because you had to crowd unnaturally close to the stage or deal with people trying to push past you. It’s amazing to me that the park didn’t foresee this problem - I almost wonder if they’ll move the stage before next weekend.
- That said, Mistletones are great as ever. It seemed like they got some new songs in their set this year. I love how the park seems to freshen up even its returning shows with new songs every year.
- Tinker’s Toy Factory, in my opinion, is terrible. Despite having a better story this year, it’s still tediously long with a head-scratching 30 minute runtime. It’s also chock-full of cheesy, forced dialogue, and many of the singers seem to purposely modify their presumably good singing voices to sound nasally and childish like an elf. The show has some strong moments when its impressively large cast of singers all perform a larger musical number, but those moments are far and few between - vastly outshadowed by dialogue and perhaps the most forced audience participation I’ve ever encountered in a show. It seems like the show is mostly aimed at kids, but its predecessor (Charlie Brown’s Christmas Spectacular) did a much better job of blending elements that the entire family could enjoy. I think it’s a shame that the park’s only heated indoor venue is being used for such a cheesy production that I can’t really imagine anyone except young children enjoying. Major downgrade from Charlie Brown IMO.
- Seems like entertainment took a bit of cut across the board this year. Downgrade from two stage shows to one (from Charlie Brown and Tinker’s to just Tinker’s), Peanuts Showplace (one of the park’s few actual show venues) inexplicably sitting dark, no 3D movie in the Action Theater this year, full-sized brass band replaced with a quintet. I wonder if rising costs were the culprit here?
- The park’s mic systems also seem to be struggling. There were numerous issues with mics cutting out during both Holly Jolly Trolly and Tinker’s. I can’t recall BGW ever having such problems and it makes me wonder if KD is just using cheap or outdated equipment. It was definitely a bad look, and I felt bad for the performers, who really did a great job of still singing their hearts out and remaining professional despite the constant issues.
- The parade seems like a huge success. It was almost hard to even find a spot to watch it - the entire parade route that I saw from the bottom of Planet Snoopy to the Eiffel Tower was packed about 10 minutes before the parade. The park really does a spectacular job here- it feels like a mini Disney experience.
- We went through Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tree Lot for the first time and I thought this was an underrated little attraction. It’s a cute little Christmas tree maze with a character photo op at the end. A little boy in the group before me had a dancing Snoopy toy that he showed off to the characters, and it was adorable when the characters (Snoopy and Schroeder) both started dancing to the Linus and Lucy song playing from the toy.
- I also checked out Sally’s craft shop for the first time. This is another impressive little attraction. They have some nice crafts here that you can make for free - pretty rare these days. The kids inside really seemed to be enjoying it.
- Overall, despite a few hiccups and questionable decisions, the event is still incredibly solid. International Street in particular is absolutely breathtaking, and everything from the giant rainbow lights in the trees in Planet Snoopy to the beautiful displays in Old Virginia are just so impressive. KD really has a winner on its hands with this event.
- They’ve updated the main display a bit in Winterfest Way (Candy Apple Grove). This area remains the most high-tech light display in the park, but they’ve completely changed changed the soundtrack here this year and the lights seem better synced to the lights with more intricate patterns. They have hundreds of small “orbs” in all the central planters that sync with the rest of the lights and it looks really cool. A few small critiques: some trees are still missing lights (you can see that their control boxes have been set up) and I disliked one of the songs which was a mashup of All I Want for Christmas Is You with a couple of random non-Christmas pop songs.
- Talent is top-notch as always this year. The woman who sings Santa Tell Me and All I Want for Christmas is You in Cool Yule on the Grand Bandstand was phenomenal.
- There are some new large light-up snowflakes decorations all around the ice rink on International Street. They look nice.
- Contrary to @RollyCoaster‘s experience that all the food locations were open, Dogwood’s Grill and the restaurant formerly known as Mac Bowl were both closed. Only one line was open inside Country Kitchen with the line stretching throughout the restaurant and out the doors to the back patio by the pond. I waited about 15 minutes at Grain & Grill (which wasn’t my first choice since I wanted to try some of the holiday food, but the lines were too long), but the park was definitely unprepared for the crowds last night.
- On the other hand, ride operations were great. They were churning trains out at both Twisted Timbers and Dominator. KD has really improved their ride operations this year and it showed yesterday.
- The relocation of the Old Virginia Gazebo to the area across from the Parched Pig near the log flume was a horrible idea. Even a small crowd gathered to watch the Mistletones or the Humbugs would all but completely block the flow of traffic moving between Old Virginia and International Street. Just horrible bottlenecking. It also made watching the show uncomfortable because you had to crowd unnaturally close to the stage or deal with people trying to push past you. It’s amazing to me that the park didn’t foresee this problem - I almost wonder if they’ll move the stage before next weekend.
- That said, Mistletones are great as ever. It seemed like they got some new songs in their set this year. I love how the park seems to freshen up even its returning shows with new songs every year.
- Tinker’s Toy Factory, in my opinion, is terrible. Despite having a better story this year, it’s still tediously long with a head-scratching 30 minute runtime. It’s also chock-full of cheesy, forced dialogue, and many of the singers seem to purposely modify their presumably good singing voices to sound nasally and childish like an elf. The show has some strong moments when its impressively large cast of singers all perform a larger musical number, but those moments are far and few between - vastly outshadowed by dialogue and perhaps the most forced audience participation I’ve ever encountered in a show. It seems like the show is mostly aimed at kids, but its predecessor (Charlie Brown’s Christmas Spectacular) did a much better job of blending elements that the entire family could enjoy. I think it’s a shame that the park’s only heated indoor venue is being used for such a cheesy production that I can’t really imagine anyone except young children enjoying. Major downgrade from Charlie Brown IMO.
- Seems like entertainment took a bit of cut across the board this year. Downgrade from two stage shows to one (from Charlie Brown and Tinker’s to just Tinker’s), Peanuts Showplace (one of the park’s few actual show venues) inexplicably sitting dark, no 3D movie in the Action Theater this year, full-sized brass band replaced with a quintet. I wonder if rising costs were the culprit here?
- The park’s mic systems also seem to be struggling. There were numerous issues with mics cutting out during both Holly Jolly Trolly and Tinker’s. I can’t recall BGW ever having such problems and it makes me wonder if KD is just using cheap or outdated equipment. It was definitely a bad look, and I felt bad for the performers, who really did a great job of still singing their hearts out and remaining professional despite the constant issues.
- The parade seems like a huge success. It was almost hard to even find a spot to watch it - the entire parade route that I saw from the bottom of Planet Snoopy to the Eiffel Tower was packed about 10 minutes before the parade. The park really does a spectacular job here- it feels like a mini Disney experience.
- We went through Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tree Lot for the first time and I thought this was an underrated little attraction. It’s a cute little Christmas tree maze with a character photo op at the end. A little boy in the group before me had a dancing Snoopy toy that he showed off to the characters, and it was adorable when the characters (Snoopy and Schroeder) both started dancing to the Linus and Lucy song playing from the toy.
- I also checked out Sally’s craft shop for the first time. This is another impressive little attraction. They have some nice crafts here that you can make for free - pretty rare these days. The kids inside really seemed to be enjoying it.
- Overall, despite a few hiccups and questionable decisions, the event is still incredibly solid. International Street in particular is absolutely breathtaking, and everything from the giant rainbow lights in the trees in Planet Snoopy to the beautiful displays in Old Virginia are just so impressive. KD really has a winner on its hands with this event.
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Let me open by saying that I think WinterFest is easily the better of the two events, with better light displays, a huge variety of holiday food options, much better local vendors, a wider variety of merchandise, and more activities and attractions. That said, there are a number of things that need some work. Some of these have been addressed, so I won't beat those dead horses.
What I don't think anyone has addressed is the lack of music at the antique cars. We walked past it a number of times and never wanted to drive through, because they we’re not playing 12 Days of Christmas or any music at all, as far as we could tell. It is possible you could hear the pop songs from the Eiffel Tower area, but that isn’t really appropriate for the attraction.
To address the question of which restaurants were closed when we walked by, here is the list. I am only including those listed in the food guide.
- Blitzen‘s Snack Nook
- Dancer’s Snack Shack
- Dasher’s Diner
- Jack Frost’s Liquid Libations
- Sugar’s Cake Factory
- Vixen’s Fixens
I’m not sure about the Nutty Bavarian or Prancer’s Snack Shack.
I wish they would do something to draw attention to the Trick or Treat house. It needs external holiday decorations to fit the event and (perhaps more importantly) increase the likelihood that people will see the extensive theming inside the building (visible through the windows).
I also would have preferred that they hadn‘t so dramatically reduced the number and variety of ornaments for sale, as well as the styles of holiday merchandise. The stores all felt a bit one-note. Most notably, the ornament store has been replaced entirely by Build-A-Bear. Sadly for me, they no longer have the Atomic Age holiday merch either.
What I don't think anyone has addressed is the lack of music at the antique cars. We walked past it a number of times and never wanted to drive through, because they we’re not playing 12 Days of Christmas or any music at all, as far as we could tell. It is possible you could hear the pop songs from the Eiffel Tower area, but that isn’t really appropriate for the attraction.
To address the question of which restaurants were closed when we walked by, here is the list. I am only including those listed in the food guide.
- Blitzen‘s Snack Nook
- Dancer’s Snack Shack
- Dasher’s Diner
- Jack Frost’s Liquid Libations
- Sugar’s Cake Factory
- Vixen’s Fixens
I’m not sure about the Nutty Bavarian or Prancer’s Snack Shack.
I wish they would do something to draw attention to the Trick or Treat house. It needs external holiday decorations to fit the event and (perhaps more importantly) increase the likelihood that people will see the extensive theming inside the building (visible through the windows).
I also would have preferred that they hadn‘t so dramatically reduced the number and variety of ornaments for sale, as well as the styles of holiday merchandise. The stores all felt a bit one-note. Most notably, the ornament store has been replaced entirely by Build-A-Bear. Sadly for me, they no longer have the Atomic Age holiday merch either.
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I would love to see a line dedicated to no stroller or bags at security as the lines are moving unbelievably slow to enter tonight due to families packing everything imaginable in with them.
So sorry to hear about to food. Anything I wanted when I approached was open with a minimal wait. I also only stayed for about 2.5 hours and it’s clear that I may not have have the full experience. Hopefully those visiting tonight have a different experience on food locations? This is shocking for me to hear as they have done such a good job all year having everything ready to go.
I agree with @Mushroom on the mic issues. I noticed this as well; however, I completely disagree with Tinkers Toy Factory. I absolutely hated the forced audience participation, but exclude that and it may be my favorite Winterfest show to date. It’s quite funny and qwerky imo. Perhaps, after a few showings I may grow tired of it quickly but as of now I loved it!
Has anybody checked out the new bar in front of Soak City? I didn’t make it over that way but happened to see it from a distance. Was wondering what they may be offering over there.
I agree with @Mushroom on the mic issues. I noticed this as well; however, I completely disagree with Tinkers Toy Factory. I absolutely hated the forced audience participation, but exclude that and it may be my favorite Winterfest show to date. It’s quite funny and qwerky imo. Perhaps, after a few showings I may grow tired of it quickly but as of now I loved it!
Has anybody checked out the new bar in front of Soak City? I didn’t make it over that way but happened to see it from a distance. Was wondering what they may be offering over there.
How has the hot chocolate been for everyone? The one I had with my drink plan at Blitzen's dinner was extremely bad it tasted like warm water with a slight hint of chocolate. I really hope that is just a bad one and not a trend.
I really honestly can't believe I am saying this but I am highly disappointed in KD tonight. The park is not jammed packed but they don't seem to have any ability to handle the moderate crowd that they have. At 8:45 every restaurant still has a line at or nearly at the door. Those drink pans that they sold members seem to only be good at restaurants meaning they are all but unusable tonight. The gift shops where also out of everything but small sweatshirts tonight. I am honestly at a complete loss as to how they went from hitting it out of the park most of the year to this near disaster tonight especially after having a full preview week to fine tune things. Honestly this feels like BGW level right now.
I don't know about this weekend, we didn't ride yesterday, but 12 Days of Christmas was playing last weekend for November Nights.
That wasn't open but the bar outside Grain and Grill and Ritas both said they didn't take the plan.
This is surprising as we went last Saturday for November nights, and while it wasn’t that busy, everything was running good.
I’ve gone to Winterfest on opening weekend every year since the event started, and this year seemed to be the busiest by far. It was also Thanksgiving weekend, so I wonder if a number of employees were out of town this weekend. The combination of those two factors might explain (though not excuse) why the park’s operations felt unusually overwhelmed.
Did WF get expanded to what passes are able to be used? I feel like that can play a lot into all these overcrowded extra seasons we’re seeing.
Gold and Platinum have always been able to attend WinterFest.
I wonder if the crowds are simply a result of:
- A growing awareness of the existence and quality of the event;
- A growing dissatisfaction with Christmas Town; or
- Some combination of both.
It usually takes any special event a few years to develop a fanbase and WinterFest is relatively new in Virginia. Additionally, more and more people are aware that KD is improving in general and that WinterFest is done well. I, personally, wouldn't find it surprising if WinterFest were much better attended this year than in the past.
I wonder if the crowds are simply a result of:
- A growing awareness of the existence and quality of the event;
- A growing dissatisfaction with Christmas Town; or
- Some combination of both.
It usually takes any special event a few years to develop a fanbase and WinterFest is relatively new in Virginia. Additionally, more and more people are aware that KD is improving in general and that WinterFest is done well. I, personally, wouldn't find it surprising if WinterFest were much better attended this year than in the past.
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I've made quite a number of trips to November Nights/WinterFest this season. And as widely expressed in this thread, it is quite the enjoyable event (as usual).
On the food-related side though.... with Outpost closed, I think I've now eaten at Grain & Grille more (here in November) than I did all season-long - as I have been eating way too much prime rib, sausage, and chicken all summer.
But for anyone looking to try something different from the WinterFest menu, I would highly recommend the Hot Brown Sandwich at Jukebox/Blitzen's Burgers.
I've been to Blitzen's Burgers several times now this season. But it was only this past Sunday where I found them to actually offer the sandwich.
If you're lucky enough to find it, it's made with (a fairly generous portion) slab of turkey - which I guess is unfortunately more than we'll find this season at BGW - bacon, two tomatoes topped with a creamy cheese sauce, on texas toast bread. After eating the sandwich I was actually hard-pressed to find room for my side - which in this picture was the standard alfredo mac & cheese.
So again, this one has my recommendation for anyone looking for something different -- and BTW, if you happen to find the proper way to eat it, be sure to let know, as I'm still trying to figure it out
EDIT: Also of note, Blitzen's Burgers is the only outdoor restaurant, which this season, has the heated tent. So where the tent was in past years found on I-Street, between funnel cakes and Cinnabon, is now a positive for checking out Blitzen's on colder days.
On the food-related side though.... with Outpost closed, I think I've now eaten at Grain & Grille more (here in November) than I did all season-long - as I have been eating way too much prime rib, sausage, and chicken all summer.
But for anyone looking to try something different from the WinterFest menu, I would highly recommend the Hot Brown Sandwich at Jukebox/Blitzen's Burgers.
I've been to Blitzen's Burgers several times now this season. But it was only this past Sunday where I found them to actually offer the sandwich.
If you're lucky enough to find it, it's made with (a fairly generous portion) slab of turkey - which I guess is unfortunately more than we'll find this season at BGW - bacon, two tomatoes topped with a creamy cheese sauce, on texas toast bread. After eating the sandwich I was actually hard-pressed to find room for my side - which in this picture was the standard alfredo mac & cheese.
So again, this one has my recommendation for anyone looking for something different -- and BTW, if you happen to find the proper way to eat it, be sure to let know, as I'm still trying to figure it out
EDIT: Also of note, Blitzen's Burgers is the only outdoor restaurant, which this season, has the heated tent. So where the tent was in past years found on I-Street, between funnel cakes and Cinnabon, is now a positive for checking out Blitzen's on colder days.
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The park tried and no one was showing up for Wed & Thur nights. Not going to take losses like that. Now I understand why the parade was canceled both nights.
If they are going to do Wed / Thurs they really need to look at more reasonable hours for the target audience. As the event is heavily targeting families and kids, a late evening event on a school night is going to have limited appeal.
Shifting to a mid-afternoon start time such as opening from 2-7 or 2-8 would widen the appeal to younger kids who aren’t in school or as an after school activity or field trip.