CoasterCard

Go Cards. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh C A...s much as I want to, probably shouldn't on TPR. People can get upset about straying too far from the topic. R...eturning to the topic of coasters: D...oes anyone else know why red is the go to color for RMC? S...eems that there would be a greater demand for more colors. I was glad to see twisted colossus change it up a bit.

Go Cards.

We had to use a chest mount, so it wasn't the smoothest video we were able to shoot, but regardless, I don't think it rocked "so much" either. I think we are just spoiling people with our normally rock-solid mounting to trains! Agreed, I guess we're all used to your train mounted vids. The only reason I asked was because much of the design was done in-house and you always wonder about how well rides, especially coasters, will track in that situation. Obviously Dal Freeman has experience designing coasters, but I was just wondering how well the ride experience turned out in this case. It appears to be done properly, and Freeman as well as Lagoon are to be commended for what looks like a great addition.

Was there a reason for so much side to side wobbling in the POV? I didn't know if the car rocked side to side that much of if that was just how the camera was rigged.

I think it's tough to compare the decisions of KK and CP as they are in completely different generations of existence. I do think KK is going about this the right way. Distancing themselves from Twisted Twins when marketing this new ride. I think Cedar Point would profit more however on the demolition of Mean Streak and creation of a new ride or two in the existing Mean Streak footprint. Their reputation of "The World's Best Collection of Roller Coasters" wouldn't suffer by an RMC rework of Mean Streak, but it wouldn't be enhanced. I think New Texas Giant really is driving their desire to not rework Mean Streak. The fact that they would more than likely be getting a clone of someone else's ride would be a shot to their collective egos. I know they have some clones there now, but they haven't installed one in quite some time.

KK has a lot of expanding space that can be used.... I also thought the demolition of one side of the Twins would open up a lot of space, but after looking on Google Maps, much of the coaster sits in the same "box". In other words, the parts that will still be standing will form the same outline as TT now. I was hoping that maybe in the future they would be able to use the dragster area as a place for a launched coaster as was rumored to go in TTs spot for awhile, but it just looks really crowded in that area. IBeeler, could you elaborate on what locations are available for KK to expand? I always heard rumors about them being able to expand into the parking lot by 5D theater, but never saw anything that would confirm that. The one spot I thought they could expand to, the parking lot behind Chang, they blocked off with a lazy river and slides.

A few things: 1.) I love this addition for KK. They are definitely going with quality rides over plug and plays that many smaller parks go with as filler. 2.) I really think they need to take this construction cycle to clean up the area on Crittenden Dr. to make the park look more inviting. This coaster is going to look amazing from Crittenden, it would be too bad if that view was tarnished by how ugly that fence row looks. 3.) I'm assuming the $15M figure includes the demolition of the unused structure and area improvement, as $15M seems high for the height and length of this coaster compared to others. I'm really looking forward to this addition and the direction in which Ed Hart is taking this park.

That's all I can find as well, but if that is the name, I like it. The Thunder/Lightning theme carries throughout. Hopefully we get more details later today. *I just read that again... $15M!!!!!!! If that number is correct, holy cow....

After seeing numerous members of Fun Spot management at Kentucky Kingdom last year for Lightning Run's opening, I have always thought they would be the next park to build a Chance Hyper GT-X. I feel like that size ride would be appropriate for a park the size of Fun Spot and would pack a punch for how small it is.

Did they mention a time?

While I understand the frustration, I'm not entirely sure what your expectation was for your visit. It has been well documented that KK has been running one train ops on their coasters (lightning run is the only one that currently has the ability to run more than one train). Also, the slow checking procedures have been a topic of conversation. In its current state and for a multitude of reasons, KK is not able to run as well as a regional park. On my visits, the key has been patience and tempered expectations. With that in mind, I have had some good times at KK.

I've found Miller to 'look at me' guy from the get-go. He has parlayed his Lebowski Fest success into a few stores in Louisville and this project. Every time you turn around he is doing something to attract eyeballs to himself as opposed to his businesses. Jean shorts, fanny packs, and counter-culture for the sake of counter-culture only attract a select (vocal) few. Luckily for him, his Why Louisville business sells products that a lot of citizens deem desirable. Most of which are t-shirts, not fanny packs or jean shorts.

Do you mean the track on the lift or the whole lift itself? The entire lift structure is gone on that side of the coaster.

This story keeps getting stranger and stranger. A string of tweets from Samantha Chatman from WDRB in Louisville relating to Funtown Mountain and more specifically Will Russell don't make things sound too rosy for the future of the roadside attraction. The "artwork" in the following string of tweets, is referring to yellow paint strewn over windows and asphalt at Funtown Mountain. You check out the string of tweets here. I know that link somewhat time sensitive, but it's a developing story and will continue to change over the next few hours. I'm not certain what is going on in this guy's mind and if he's truly bipolar I hope he gets the help he wants, but to take on the risk that he did with this attraction without any background in the industry was somewhat foolish. He has become a successful businessman in Louisville by selling products that sell themselves with little promotion. When you are trying to attract people 70 miles away from Louisville to your sideshow, you are going to require unique attractions and good marketing. Neither of which he had in place when he soft opened.

All evidence points to I-Box track as opposed to Topper track. Ledgers and track stack have been removed throughout the majority of the ride. In other words, if this is going to be a topper track ride, there are 2 options: 1.) The ride is becoming considerably shorter, only utilizing what little amount of track stack is remaining. 2.) Rebuilding a wooden coaster from most of the existing bents, then retrofitting this new wooden coaster with Topper track. (not happening) Again, the amount of deconstruction that has taken place really lends itself to an I-Box track rebuild. I do believe Ed wants some kind of "gimmick" to draw in visitors and get locals talking about the park more. He always talked about wanting to have the world's longest wooden coaster by tying TT and Thunder Run together, but a launched dueling coaster would certainly do that as well...

According to their Facebook page, all activities at Funtown Mountain are cancelled as of today. This following owner Will Russell's arrest at Lebowski Fest, an event he founded in 2002. He was booked on charges of possession of marijuana, resisting arrest and menacing. There is no indication, as of now, of when or if the roadside attraction park will resume operation. I always thought one of the hindrances to this park would be the eccentricity of its owner. It's one thing to promote your the excitement you feel toward your business. It's another to prance about like you haven't a care in the world. Their Facebook promotion for the park always came off to me as a group of friends looking for a place to act weird, as opposed to a place to entertain guests and showcase the history of an interesting roadside attraction. I'm sure there will be more to this story after the legal proceedings run their course.

I'm not sure KK will ever see a 200' coaster because of height restrictions, but I don't know how the restrictions breakdown by areas of the park. KK is in a unique situation with where they are situated, but many of my favorite coasters are shorter than 200' tall. I think they can carve a market out of making fun, smaller rides like LR.

If it were to happen, I think it would be 2 or 3 years away. I think it's pretty set in stone that something is happening with TT for next year, and if it is as extensive as I believe, I don't know if KK will invest the money or waste the hype cycle on 2 coasters in one year. I had heard some rumors about a launched Eurofighter in place of TT in order to stay below the new height limit, but I figured those are out the window now that it appears TT is being rehabbed. Eurofighters are good for a cheap coaster addition, but I wouldn't really get that excited for that addition. I haven't ridden a Eurofighter that was an enjoyable experience.

I come to TPR to talk about KK because other sites make it impossible to talk about the park without turning it into a flame war. I think Larry's comments were a tad belittling, but there's no real reason to get worked up as there is a pretty reasonable explanation to why we, as enthusiasts, can be collectively excited/relieved about an SLC opening. (See my last post) This KK thread has been filled with a lot of positivity in regards to what KK is and can become. Let's not let it devolve into petty bickering about why anyone should or shouldn't care about what the park is opening. So how about that RMC next year.......

It's probably cuz it's opening in a park that has only 2 other big coasters, neither of which invert. That still doesn't explain why an enthusiast would care. The general public might care about an inverting coaster, but enthusiasts should not be enthused by an SLC to be point of clamoring about an opening date. There are a few enthusiasts on here from the area around KK that want to see the park succeed. I, for one, see T3 as a key part in the immediate success, as the complaint by many people in the GP claim the park doesn't have big rides. In order for the park to be able to invest in the mind blowing, cutting edge, "OMFG AMAZING!!!!" rides that drive everyone wild on TPR, the park has to have the finances. I've seen numerous threads on TPR get excited about restaurants or flats designed for children; I think it's okay for amusement park enthusiasts to care about the reopening of a large coaster with new trains that will attract local guests.

The new design is meant to operate with phones as well as PCs, it appears. Not a great choice as far as PC experience goes, but I think it helps ease site maintenance.

The only thing wrong with KK's location is that there is a road running though the middle of the park, other than that it's a great location. Right off of a major highway, very accessible from nearby major cities, yeah they have some height restrictions with the airport nearby but Lightning Run doesn't seem to suffer from a lack of height. Seems like if Twisted Twins is getting the RMC treatment and it's half as good as everything else they have done then KK will have one of the better two coaster combos of any park in America. While Lightning Run doesn't suffer at all from height restrictions and is an incredible ride, most people in Louisville would not know what I was talking about if I said something about Lightning Run. Yet many would know Diamondback or The Voyage just because of their heights. I really wish KK would have stuck with their plan to run TT and Thunder Run together and create the world's longest roller coaster. It would definitely give guests something to brag about after visiting while staying below the height limit. Also, while it is by the Watterson and 65, it makes the park seem much more urban than KI and HW. Whether that's a good thing or bad thing, I'm not entirely sure.

The issue with KK trying to make a run at HW is location. With KK unable to make really tall coasters, you lose an easier way of attracting customers. People like to impress their friends by saying how tall of a coaster they rode at [insert park here], and KK doesn't offer that possibility like The Voyage does. Also, the fact that KK is surrounded by concrete doesn't help the feeling of being at a park. KK feels like you are at a public pool in the city that has some really cool slides, whereas HW feels like you are in a park. Where KK is located really hurts what they are able to do and the overall "feel" of the park. KK needs to install unique coasters and flats so that it distinguishes them from the surrounding parks. It can be done, but with that strategy it will take a good deal of time to build the quality of the park.

I have no clue what they are insinuating is in there, but this video was taken when that area of the park was closed. They could have been storing anything in there for covered storage. I believe that is the entrance to the loading area, and seeing as that ride is now open, I highly doubt there is anything in there currently without guests seeing it. I fail to see how this is any kind of conspiracy or attempt to hide something, but maybe you could explain, as that video didn't really provide much other than some creepy music.

Did you read what I wrote? Alan Schilke said RMC has three projects coming out for 2016, not that I think he refuses to do more. He then went on to say there are already four projected for 2017. I'm confident this is because they only have the capacity to do a limited number of projects at a time since they are a smaller company. Did I read it? Yes. Did I understand why something was "off" because of it? No. Just because Ed Hart said he was going to open TT as the third phase of opening the park doesn't mean he had contracted RMC to do the work. Hart announced wanting to renovate TT back in 2011 when he pitched his takeover. I believe a construction contract with RMC may not have been finalized until after IAAPA.