mikeykaise

At least they removed the brakes on the downhill plunge into the spiral from what I could tell.

The kiddie bumper boats aren't being shown as well.

I still say the best type of coaster for HW would be an intermediate size coaster. I have 2 young boys that are 12 & 11 who want to love coasters but are still wary of them. We go to the park and they've out grown the little coaster and they don't feel ready for Raven let alone Legend or Voyage yet. I think a coaster kind of like the beastie (sorry I only remember the name from when I was their age not the new name). It would be a good next step up for a park that prides itself being a family park. A good coaster that children could ride as they get older to transition from the kiddie coasters to the full size coasters.

little kaka

I see your point but I don't really see them putting a major coaster right there next to the star of the park, Voyage, it will definitely interesting to see their solution though especially with the new owners in charge.

what I thought was interesting is they're saying that only the tower is being removed so I'm thinking maybe another lazy river since they took one out when they redid the entrance to Splashin Safari or using the in place equipment for more water slides in that area.

Well we all kind of figured this was the case. I liked the ride but really the ride around to the elevator was kind of dull. I have a felling they'll fill the space with waterslides next year.

That is my issue though. It's Ed Hart saying it. You would think if it was such a money maker pre-Six Flags that several people would have wanted to get the park when it closed, but it seems the only interested parties were Ed and the Koch family, and they backed out. It would not surprise me if the park was profitable in the sense that their revenue was greater than their rent, labor costs, food costs, maintenance costs, etc. I just have a hard time believing they were very profitable when you include their capital expenses for Vampire, Thunder Run, Hurricane Bay, T2, Change, etc. I'm not trying to call Ed a liar or manipulator of facts, but I have know business operators that when they publicly spoke about their business they skewed facts to make things look better when in reality they were breaking even, if that. So unless same actual black and white revenue figures get released, I just find it hard to believe. No one was really committed to investing as much money as it took Ed Hart to fix all the damage and neglect from the water slides not being properly winterized to ride cars not being properly stowed for the winter. Ed has earned major respect from me because he's not doing it for money, he's doing it because he loves KK and he knows how vital the park is to the Louisville economy. I give him major kudos and proud to say I live in the same city as he does!

and that's what I love about the Kochs, anyone can just bulldoze a parking booth or use a sledgehammer but not Dan he has to do something awesome like this. I love it!

So if Six Flags sold the part of the park that they owned to the fair board does that mean that the fair board now owns all of the land that Kentucky Kingdom sits on, or did they sell the part they purchased from Six Flags back to Ed Hart. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the Fair Board own the whole property and rents it to the operators?

thank you, I knew the gist but not the complete details like that.

The two sides talked but the Fair Board wanted a higher rent and Six Flags said nope and walked away from it because this was about the time Six Flags was getting ready to declare bankruptcy so they basically just wanted out as quickly as they could.

No, Ed Hart had reopened it the first time after it closed in the early 90's and ran it. He turned it around and was setting attendance records when he ran it. Six Flags bought it from him and when they couldn't reach an agreement with the Fair Board they locked the doors and moved Chang & the Wild Mouse to their other parks and the park remain shuttered for 2 yrs when the FB finally came to an agreement with Ed Hart.

Not something the old powers that be would have done that is for sure. They would have announced something before making the change. I wonder if it could be an oops that it was left off the park map, maybe?

Andy, You have to join the Holiwood Nights page on FB, Paula posted it there. Here's the link to the HW Nights group page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/325861871036/

Holiday World on May 15th is giving free admission, a Voyage photo walk back, ERT, and a meal to coaster club enthusiasts according to their Holiwood nights page: Are you planning to be in the area on Thursday, May 15? If you're a card-carrying member of one of our partner clubs, you'll receive free admission! Plus a Voyage photo walkback, a bit of ERT and a meal. Any takers?

The other factor in drop towers when it comes to Kentucky Kingdom is that it sits right next to the airport so they are limited on how high up they can go. I'm sure Ed would have loved to put in a 200 ft+ tower.... that would be a cool affect being 200 feet up in the air and a UPS 757 passes right under your feet as long as no one got hurt by a passing airplane that is.

I hate to say it since I'm a fellow Beast lover too but the last time I rode it at Coasting for Kids in 2012 to me it seemed a lot slower and not as thrilling, would love to see some work done to get it back to the way it used to be.

I wonder if they could possibly run 3 trains. When one is coming down the drop another one could be in the station and the 3rd one could be in the back 40 and all 3 still wouldn't be close to each other.

I noticed that as well, thought it might have been a new coaster technology... jump the gap!

holy moly.... its white out on the webcams, can't even see banshee its snowing so hard up north.

This morning while sipping my coffee and watching the local morning news before heading to work, I about pee'd my pants when I saw the first KK commercial advertising season passes.... so excited, its almost here.... 2 more months!

It surprised me to see them brushing the paint on, I always figured amusement parks spray-painted rides.

I think its a good assumption to make especially if both Natalie and Dan are both involved. Pat hasn't been around Holiday World ever since Lori took over and Dan was forced out. I don't see Pat sitting idle or going into early retirement she's such an active person it would take a lot to keep her out.

I sent Dan a private message to say congratulations and he said unfortunately Rampage won't open in May. He is saying it needs track & train repairs but they will make it much better as soon as possible.