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Kentucky Kingdom (SFKK, KK) Discussion Thread


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I get that there is a trend for water parks right now, but really? This is frustrating how little drive for actual rides there is. Now granted, KK is pretty awful in terms of coasters, but still, I wish there was a greater emphasis on the rides.

 

The park was not awful in the terms of coasters in the 1990s. Now, well it is. The park is just so outdated.

 

Ed Hart main concern isn't the waterpark. Kentucky Kingdom's waterpark right now is smaller then your average waterpark btw. I don't understand why there is so much talk about how great the waterpark is when there really isn't that many attractions inside of it. Before Ed Hart left the kingdom in 1997/1998 the waterpark had a wave pool, a kids area, a treehouse water attaction, a lazy river, and one slide complex with 4 water slides. The only thing Six Flags added was a Tornado waterslide and a Deluge Water Coaster. A Waterpark expansion is needed as you can see. After this expansion, Ed Hart said that he is going to start adding in brand new rides, reopening twisted twins, and most importantly, brand NEW coasters.

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“We intend to have a complete makeover of Kentucky Kingdom,” Hart said. He affirmed that he plans to add two major rides and double the size of the water park for the opening. Hart said he will soon begin to line up contractors and suppliers, intending to use as many local providers as possible.

 

And so the conversion to water park only begins!

 

Say hello "Kentucky Wildwater Kingdom" in 2014!

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“We intend to have a complete makeover of Kentucky Kingdom,” Hart said. He affirmed that he plans to add two major rides and double the size of the water park for the opening. Hart said he will soon begin to line up contractors and suppliers, intending to use as many local providers as possible.

 

And so the conversion to water park only begins!

 

Say hello "Kentucky Wildwater Kingdom" in 2014!

pretty much the only thing that can operate if Ed Hart does not get moving fast enough

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In duck hunting we use a term called "short stopping." That's where someone or something in the typical migration pattern does something that causes the ducks to stop their instinctual flight south for a longer stop over along the way until the weather overcomes it. While in Nashville I noticed quite a bit of Holiday World advertising (bilboards, tourist pamlet racks, so on) One of Hart's goal is to stop those folks from going on to Holiday World. To do that, he has to offer a better, more compelling product. Holiday World bilboards in Nashville boasted of Holiday Worlds Water Coaster. It's called Goliath right? The waterpark is the easiest and quickest fix for this. It has the added benefit to attract locals more often and fleece them of their concession money. It's all about bodies. Trying to campete with Holiday and other parks more northernly with dry rides will require more time and lots more money. Sounds like good business.

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If they decide to have Kentucky Kingdom operate solely as a water park do you think they would use the existing water park and demolish part of the "dry" park for a parking lot or demolish the "dry" park and leave the existing water park SBNO and just build new slides and pools for it?

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If they decide to have Kentucky Kingdom operate solely as a water park do you think they would use the existing water park and demolish part of the "dry" park for a parking lot or demolish the "dry" park and leave the existing water park SBNO and just build new slides and pools for it?

 

 

I think folks are reading something that isn't there(going to all water park) and there's a good deal of "wishing" it to fail so their doubts that it would reopen would be realized.

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If they decide to have Kentucky Kingdom operate solely as a water park do you think they would use the existing water park and demolish part of the "dry" park for a parking lot

If there's one thing this place doesn't need, it's more parking.

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If they decide to have Kentucky Kingdom operate solely as a water park do you think they would use the existing water park and demolish part of the "dry" park for a parking lot or demolish the "dry" park and leave the existing water park SBNO and just build new slides and pools for it?

 

 

I think folks are reading something that isn't there(going to all water park) and there's a good deal of "wishing" it to fail so their doubts that it would reopen would be realized.

 

No one here is wishing for it to fail. But lets look at the bigger picture: Holiday World, Beech Bend, and Kings Island are three major competitors all within "daycation" range of the park...and instead of making a big splash, his first focus is on the water park.

 

Nothing says "we want your business back!" like doubling the size of the water park...unless you want the water park to be a focal point of your business.

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I get that there is a trend for water parks right now, but really? This is frustrating how little drive for actual rides there is. Now granted, KK is pretty awful in terms of coasters, but still, I wish there was a greater emphasis on the rides.

 

The park was not awful in the terms of coasters in the 1990s. Now, well it is. The park is just so outdated.

 

Ed Hart main concern isn't the waterpark. Kentucky Kingdom's waterpark right now is smaller then your average waterpark btw. I don't understand why there is so much talk about how great the waterpark is when there really isn't that many attractions inside of it. Before Ed Hart left the kingdom in 1997/1998 the waterpark had a wave pool, a kids area, a treehouse water attaction, a lazy river, and one slide complex with 4 water slides. The only thing Six Flags added was a Tornado waterslide and a Deluge Water Coaster. A Waterpark expansion is needed as you can see. After this expansion, Ed Hart said that he is going to start adding in brand new rides, reopening twisted twins, and most importantly, brand NEW coasters.

 

Six Flags also added a Bowl Slide in 2008.

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With lower overheads and more per cap spending, water parks can sometimes be the cash cow behind an amusement park. What Ed Hart is doing makes a lot of sense. It's a cheaper alternative to doubling the amusement park side and is a pretty sure way to bring people in.

 

I wouldn't worry though, he sounds extremely committed to the amusement park. I wouldn't worry about the focus being only on the waterpark side.

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No one here is wishing for it to fail. But lets look at the bigger picture: Holiday World, Beech Bend, and Kings Island are three major competitors all within "daycation" range of the park...and instead of making a big splash, his first focus is on the water park.

 

Nothing says "we want your business back!" like doubling the size of the water park...unless you want the water park to be a focal point of your business.

 

You guys are forgetting something. Yes Ed has announced that he plans on doubling the size of the waterpark, which is needed. He has also said that he will be adding something to the dry side but he isnt given out that information because of competition with Kings Island and Holiday World.The only thing that we know is that he will add in TWO MAJOR THRILL RIDES in 2014. When Ed operated the park in the 1990s the major thrill rides he added in his time was The Hellavator, and the Quake! Both rides were a "World First" BTW. Could there be a World first in 2014? There's a HIGH good chance.

 

If you don't know what the Quake is, here's a video of it in action in the link below

http://blip.tv/ridemanvideo/the-quake-at-kentucky-kingdom-6016211

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With the early reports I've been reading, it is so far and so good that this park could reopen, tons of riders and amusement park flyers would be visiting the park, and Kentucky Kingdom pops back on to the map as a "Must Visit or Die" attraction. Of course I won't be able to visit there when the park reopens (hopefully) next year, but I might consider it in 2015.

 

As for what slowly-decaying rides that are lefted inside the park, all I do know is, besides the water park, that Thunder Run and The Twisted Twins coasters are still standing, but I wonder what else is in there? Is Greezed Lighting still there, or how about T2, or the Roller Skater? I even wonder if my favorite type of flat ride, The Flying Dutchman, is still there? Does anyone know?

 

One thing I do know is that when they get around to remodeling and retracking the Twisted Twins, then I hope they would do something about those extra queing lines that did nothing but take up space. During all my visits to Kentucky Kingdom, not once did I ever see those extra lines being used (It reminds me of the Lighting Racer coaster at Hersheypark: they had a big block of queing lines outside the station that never got used do to the long straightaway and how quickly they've been filling up the trains. So they are dismanteling that area and I hope they would put something else in its place - like a drop tower).

 

Well, that's enough of me adding to this post. I think I'll go join my pillow before she has a heart attack and kills someone.

 

"You got that right, buster!"

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No one here is wishing for it to fail. But lets look at the bigger picture: Holiday World, Beech Bend, and Kings Island are three major competitors all within "daycation" range of the park...and instead of making a big splash, his first focus is on the water park.

 

Nothing says "we want your business back!" like doubling the size of the water park...unless you want the water park to be a focal point of your business.

 

You guys are forgetting something. Yes Ed has announced that he plans on doubling the size of the waterpark, which is needed. He has also said that he will be adding something to the dry side but he isnt given out that information because of competition with Kings Island and Holiday World.The only thing that we know is that he will add in TWO MAJOR THRILL RIDES in 2014. When Ed operated the park in the 1990s the major thrill rides he added in his time was The Hellavator, and the Quake! Both rides were a "World First" BTW. Could there be a World first in 2014? There's a HIGH good chance.

 

If you don't know what the Quake is, here's a video of it in action in the link below

http://blip.tv/ridemanvideo/the-quake-at-kentucky-kingdom-6016211

 

I'll believe it when they are actually under construction. His lease only requires $1 million in improvements every year, and the water park additions will easily cover that.

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Under the lease, Hart and his investment partners -- businessman Bruce Lunsford, lawyer Ed Glasscock and the Al J. Schneider Co. -- have agreed to invest $45 million in park improvements by 2017. That includes $20 million in partner equity and $25 million in loans. The group is to spend at least $1 million a year on park upgrades.

 

I predict the park is going to take more than 45 million over the next 4 years and Hart will then ask for a modification to the lease or back out. I have seen nothing on them actually having secured the loans either.

 

This whole thing seems like he is going about it backwards. Wouldn't he want to know the condition of the park first before agreeing to a lease?

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^ He had just looked at the park within the last year, so I figured he's looking for new decay and vandalism. He knows the industry well, I know he knows what he's getting into.

 

As for the park becoming a waterpark comments: Ed wants to market the park out to the largest geographical radius that he can, and with that in mind, he knows it's going to take large thrill rides combined with a strong waterpark and themepark to achieve people driving that far out to attend the park. So that's why I don't feel the waterpark will be the "main draw" if this thing happens the way he wants it to.

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I'll believe it when they are actually under construction. His lease only requires $1 million in improvements every year, and the water park additions will easily cover that.

 

It may say that in the lease, but Ed said he isn't really planning on investing $1 million in improvements annually. He said in a radio interview HERE IN LOUISVILLE that he's planning on investment way more than that. He wants to make Kentucky Kingdom what it once was.

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^ He had just looked at the park within the last year, so I figured he's looking for new decay and vandalism. He knows the industry well, I know he knows what he's getting into.

 

As for the park becoming a waterpark comments: Ed wants to market the park out to the largest geographical radius that he can, and with that in mind, he knows it's going to take large thrill rides combined with a strong waterpark and themepark to achieve people driving that far out to attend the park. So that's why I don't feel the waterpark will be the "main draw" if this thing happens the way he wants it to.

 

If copper theives haven't hit the place I'd be shocked.

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Why is everyone so surprised that he's goign to expand the water park? That's where the money is these days with regional parks. I mean, look at Holiday World's exansions over the past several years. Since Voyage, there have only been a few dry rides and huge expansion of the water park. Why do you think that is?

 

Go to almost any major theme park that ALSO has a water park included in the entry price these days, and you'll find that until the water park closes, it's actually busier than the regular park.

 

Not only that, but the slides are cheaper than many flat rides, and significantly cheaper than any big coaster.

 

Do people here actually expect him to build a big, expensive coaster right away? Yes, the park NEEDS one or two, but I don't see it happening until the park starts turning a profit. It's just too big of an investment right now.

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I'm not the least bit surprised he went for the water park first. It does make business sense. It's essentially an insurance policy---ride park fails, he still has that to fall back on if/when redevelopment talks begin with the fair board again for the "future use" they mentioned.

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Do people here actually expect him to build a big, expensive coaster right away? Yes, the park NEEDS one or two, but I don't see it happening until the park starts turning a profit. It's just too big of an investment right now.

 

The park NEEDS a bulldozer to get it out of its misery.

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