Many readers are probably wondering why I’m recommending to bring small children to a Halloween event at Kings Dominion with such enthusiasm. Most of the time, scary is what comes to mind when associating Halloween and a theme park! However, Kings Dominion has designed their featured fall event The Great Pumpkin Fest to be all fun and no fear!
WHAT IS THE GREAT PUMPKIN FEST
Through out the fall every Saturday and Sunday September 22- October 28, 2018 from 12 PM to 5 PM, Kings Dominion celebrates the ultimate fall festival, The Great Pumpkin Fest! In addition to everyone’s favorite family rides at Kings Dominion, Guests can participate in a collection of scare-free Halloween activities including venturing through a hay maze, decorating the perfect pumpkin, watching Halloween-themed live shows and more! Ghosts, goblins, and ghouls are thrilling to adults and some older kids but absolutely terrifying for the little ones! I love that Kings Dominion makes it easy for the entire family to enjoy a Halloween event together no matter what age.
PLAN OUT YOUR DAY
The first thing you want to do after getting through the gates is make your way to the Planet Snoopy entrance and stop by The Great Pumpkin Fest headquarters to get measured for rides, grab a goodie bag and pick up a map. We spent most of our day in Planet Snoopy since the kids in our group are between ages 3-6. We enjoyed riding all the rides and seeing the shows. Some of our favorite rides that go great with the Halloween theme are the Great Pumpkin Coaster, Boo-Blaster and the Kite Eating Tree. I love that Planet Snoopy is decorated in festival fall fun… As the kids ride on PEANUTS Turnpike and Road Rally the pass by inflatables and other adorable decorations.
When the day is coming to an end we leave enough time for our last two stops. The second to last stop you should make is stopping by Pig-Pens People Washer, located by the Kite Eating Tree ride. This giant foam pit is a lot of fun. The down side is you do get a little soaked with suds. We usually keep spare clothing to change into in the car. I personally like to end the day by picking up a pumpkin before 5 PM. I suggest picking your pumpkin up last so it’s not a pain to carry around the park all day. We usually do not paint ours and save it as an activity to do at home. If you don’t want to stay for “The Haunt” Kings Dominion scary event than you will want to exit the park around 6 PM. At 7 PM things turn terrifying really fast! The music changes, fog comes over the ground and creepy things appear.
SPECIAL EVENTS & ACTIVITIES ONLY DURING THE GREAT PUMPKIN FEST
There are a number of shows, events and activities that are special during the fall. Don’t miss any of the fun extras:
- Van Pelt Derby- Mini pedal cart tractors.
- Pig-Pens People Washer- Fun foam pit.
- Franklin’s Scarecrow Hallow- Hay Maze with prizes.
- Walk-around Characters & Meet & Treats- All your favorite PEANUTS characters are dressed up to celebrate Halloween.
- Ghostly Games- There are some special prize games that cost additional money; however, everyone wins a prize!
- Creepy Crawlies Show
- Mad Science Halloween Edition
- Magic with Johnathan Austin
TRICKS TO MAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE A TREAT
- Trick or Treat prizes- Be sure to stop by the designated areas that are handing out little prizes such as mini coloring books, pencils, stickers and tiny puzzles.
- Be sure to take to time to stop and get pictures with the Characters and decorated photo spots so you capture some fond memories.
- Dress up in costume when you go.
- Don’t forget to pick the perfect pumpkin. It’s great the cost of admission includes a small pumpkin for the kids.
- Visit the family center if you have infants and toddlers or even a little one who gets sensory overload. Did you know the family care center has changing tables, wipes, a nursing room and bottle warmers? Not to mention a calm down room. The calm down room has noise canceling head gear, sensory toys and a comfy bean bag chair. Will visiting to use the family restroom, our friends little one got a sticker for it being her first time to the park!
- If you plan on staying late (after 6 PM) be sure to get a 2018 No Boo! necklace to give yourself scare immunity from the monsters lurking inside the Halloween Haunt. Wearing this necklace significantly reduces the likelihood of being scared by monsters in scare zones. Cannot be used in any of the mazes.
INFORMATION
Address: 16000 Theme Park Way, Doswell, VA 23047
Hours: Great Pumpkin Fest is every weekend September 22- October 28, 2018 10 AM – 5 PM (Park Hours Vary) Park Hours Link
Cost: Day Pass $46/Season Pass $99 Renewal or $120 New Pass/ Children 3 and under FREE/FREE Pre-k Pass available until Memorial Day Weekend
Website: https://www.kingsdominion.com
Visiting Kings Dominion with Kids Guide
GIVEAWAY
One lucky fan will win a Kings Dominion Swag Bag with Peanuts Souvenirs. Contest is open now through Thursday September 27, 2018 12:00 PM. Rules:
- COMMENT: Happiness is…. (I saw the most adorable signs at Kings Dominion that said Happiness is…, so I thought this would be a good thing to comment on.)
- LIKE the post
- SHARE with friends to spread the word (NOT MANDATORY)
- Must be a local Playful Parent fan to win.
- Giveaway not Facebook affiliate.
FROM OUR FAMILY YO YOURS HAPPY FALL!!!
PLAY, LEARN, GROW
***The Playful Parent was not paid to promote Kings Dominion, sharing information and my unbiased opinion about our family’s favorite spots around the DMV area is an honor. I want to thank Kings Dominion for inviting us out for the day so we could get all the information to write this guide and help parents plan there trip to The Great Pumpkin Festival. All content and photos from the article are intellectual property of The Playful Parent protected by the DCMA.***
September 24, 2018 at 9:23 am
Looks like a lot of fun!!