Kentucky Kingdom (SFKK, KK) Discussion Thread

Thunder Run, was never designed to run more than 1 Train, there was never supposed to be a transfer track. It was designed as it was, no need for a second Train. It couldn't be added, because there is no room.

Actually, when it first opened it had concrete footers where the on-ride photo area is now for a transfer track. They're probably still there under the dirt and stuff, not that it matters cause I doubt they have any intentions of adding a second train at this point. But, it was designed with adding a second train being the plan after a few years.

^ Well that is definitely some interesting news!

So I feel like I already know the answer but we're planning a Holiday World / Kentucky Kingdom / Mystical Mystery Shed tour over Memorial Day weekend and were curious as to whether or not there was anything to do in Louisville at night.

Damn, we're just going to miss each other. We'll be getting into Louisville for a KK/quick GTFO of town trip for Emily's birthday on that Monday or Tuesday. (3/29 or 3/30)

Ugh, that's a shame. I think a Worlds of Fun / SDC / SFSTL (because it's there) / Typical St. Louis touristy bullsh*t (Arch / City Museum / Cardinals Game, whatever...) trip might be coming up in the next few years. We'll meet up for a beer or two at some point down the line.

Sounds good, man. That, and I'm due for an eventual first ride on El Toro, so it's only a matter of time!

Looking forward to the event this weekend! Anyone else going? Im representing TPR and also CoasterMatt Productions! (Check us out on social media!)

I'll be there, thanks for the reminder. I need to print my invitation out while at work.

I'll be going!

^Thanks for bringing up the printing, I hadn't checked my e-mail in a long time and didn't realize I had to print anything until you said that.

I'm guessing since it's an invitation we need to bring it with us, his email didn't really say.

I'm guessing since it's an invitation we need to bring it with us, his email didn't really say.

I agree that printing it is a good idea, since it says "Invitation only." I just meant that I hadn't seen that e-mail at all until yesterday.

What event is happening this weekend?

Looks like they updated their website pretty extensively (at least on mobile)

^ Nope, it's on computers as well: https://www.kentuckykingdom.com/

I like it. Big improvement over the previous one, looks a lot more professional.

Mind as well post this here, but at the event on Saturday they said there will be a 2018 and 2019 announcement some time in April.

Also, Ed said something in the Q&A about how he wishes he could know how much adding another large coaster would affect attendance. So he's obviously thinking about something large but is afraid it might not bring in enough ROI. We'll see pretty soon if they decided to move forward on another big coaster!

If Ed's mentioning another large coaster, he already has a pretty damn good idea as to how it's going to effect attendance. He's a smart guy who's gotten this park to where it is today in short order. Believe me, if he's openly musing about it, his mind's made up and he knows his answers.

The only bad thing about trying to put in a big coaster is since KK is right in the middle of two approaches to runways it can be difficult putting something too big unless you go underground to get around the height restriction, but I'm excited to hear what they are doing for 2018 & 2019.

^You were there, large can mean long. There was talk (that I barely heard because I was ditzing around in the back) that before Storm Chaser they were entertaining the idea of putting in the longest wooden coaster to beat out Beast's record.

Also, when we were on top of the water slide taking pictures, he pointed out this quite substantial area of land they had over behind the water slides (I believe) available to them for development. They already have built two amazing shorter coasters and they could do it again.

oh I know, still would like to see a roller coaster that goes 50 feet underground that would be one heck of a first drop. I figured that whole back area where we went in would be a good expansion area.

That off season tour was pretty cool!!

SeaWorld San Diego's Manta and most of the coasters at Alton Towers show that you can still build great rides with height restrictions, and those parks have tougher height restrictions than Kentucky Kingdom.

What I think the park needs is a coaster that focuses on inversions. I'd love to see a B&M looper, but not sure if that's in the budget. Otherwise something from Premier Rides like Sky Rocket or a Gerstlauer infinity coaster would be nice fits.

SeaWorld San Diego's Manta and most of the coasters at Alton Towers show that you can still build great rides with height restrictions, and those parks have tougher height restrictions than Kentucky Kingdom.

 

What I think the park needs is a coaster that focuses on inversions. I'd love to see a B&M looper, but not sure if that's in the budget. Otherwise something from Premier Rides like Sky Rocket or a Gerstlauer infinity coaster would be nice fits.

Even though Sky Rocket 2s are starting to become the new boomerang, I actually think one would be a perfect addition to Kentucky Kingdom. It would cover the launch category, the shuttle category, and the inversion category, and would have a small footprint and be fairly cheap. Makes perfect sense to me. And, it is mostly different from anything at Holiday World or Kings Island, if that matters.

Even though Sky Rocket 2s are starting to become the new boomerang,

Dude, there are 3 in the whole country. Slow your roll.

If it becomes as common as boomerangs, I won't mind. Though I was honestly thinking of a custom one like Kennywood's Sky Rocket, not the Sky Rocket II clone. Kennywood's Sky Rocket is shorter and would probably be easier to work with considering the height restriction. Sky Rocket II's are 150 ft tall. I know the drop tower and Ferris wheel are somewhere in the 120-140 ft range, but not sure how much higher they could go up there.

I was still amazed how close planes were flying overhead during my rides on Storm Chaser.

I think a Sky Rocket 2 would be a great addition to the park and I hope we get one, but I think Hart's thinking bigger. He's mentioned in the past wanting another B&M Coaster to replace Chang, even going so far as to get into a bidding war for the Time Machine coaster from the defunct park in South Carolina. He's also mentioned, in a recorded interview back when Storm Chaser first opened, that he's already having talks with RMC about a new coaster. Personally, I think if you do the math he may be talking a T-Rex tracked coaster coming down the pike. I say T-Rex and not Raptor because the Raptor design is (for obvious reasons) very similar to Lightning Run and thus having two very similar coasters wouldn't make sense...not would the Raptor be "big" enough if he's genuinely interested in something more akin to a B&M.

Even though Sky Rocket 2s are starting to become the new boomerang,

Dude, there are 3 in the whole country. Slow your roll.

I see what you did there

^And I agree that a Sky Rocket doesn't strike me as quite the "big" that he was talking about, but the good thing is that we won't have to wait long to find out! And not only will we know 2018, but 2019 plans as well! So no speculating next year either