Winterfest returned to Kings Island Amusement Park in Mason, Ohio back in 2017 after a 12 year hiatus. We have been attempting to visit since then and just recently were able to stop by and check out a great event with far more to offer than just lights, however if lights are you driver, you'll be glad to know there are over 5 million of them vying for your attention!
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You've experienced amusement parks during the warmer months as screams and laughter alike fill the air intertwined with the smells of diet busting food items of all kinds. Well for the next few weeks you have the unique opportunity to enjoy Kings Island as you probably have never seen it before, exit a summertime paradise and enter a transformed Winter Wonderland!
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With over 50 different attractions for families young and old to explore, spread over 9 different unique areas, you'll have a great time without even trying!
We've been to KI like everyone else more times than we can count but the moment we stepped past the ticket booth the kids were in full on "WOW" mode as they didn't remember KI like THIS!
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It was if we were now guest at the North Pole as every building along International Street was encased in lights and glowing! Charles Dickens painted the mental portrait of Christmas and Kings Island brought it to life.
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The Fountain has been transformed into "Snowflake Lake",one of the largest ice skating rinks around. It's also a cool thing to note that you can rent "walkers" for little kids that might not have the swing of ice skating down yet but still want to join in. Why is it called "Snowflake Lake" one may wonder? Well I didn't think much of it until Scoop yelled "Dad OMG LOOK!" as she pointed at the artificial snowflakes falling from the sky!!
One thing you'll definitely notice before entering the park, or parking lot (or even exiting the freeway for that matter), is that the Eiffel Tower is no more and instead in its place is the World's Largest "Christmas Tree". We sat for at least 20 minutes watching in awe at all the different colors it changed to.
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A True Winter Wonderland
The kids were seriously in shock at how different the park looked! We initially thought this would just be a chance to see some lights while drinking hot chocolate and while that definitely was an option, there was so much more to do.
Live shows featuring The Peanuts gang, Sally's Christmas Crafts workshops and roaming Christmas Carolers are only a sampling of some of the holiday events going on that made our visit more festive. The kids really liked watching the live carving presentation as it was funny watching their faces go from puzzled to totally in awe as they transformed a block of ice into a cool penguin.