mikeykaise

the point that really got me on how bad of a deal this is and it put it into a tangible meaning is out of one ticket sold for $8 Ed Hart's company will only get $1 and maybe some change. Who really would want to invest and manage on something with such a low return (around 1.25% roughly) and any invested money on rides and improvements would immediately become the states. On top of the low return after so many years your rents going up which is going to take a large chunk of that dollar per ticket. I don't see a happy ending in the future. Its no wonder when they opened the park to potential companies pretty much only Hart's group showed up.

I feel the same way... let's not forget the Koch family members had a lease agreement but before they signed at the x they backed out of it before it was too late. I won't be excited until opening day 2014. They have a lot of work to do and might be best to bulldoze and start from scratch as long as the slides and rides have been sitting.

I won't be able to make the Mid-West Trip due to work schedule so my wife and I will be taking our kids here in June and it will be our first time visiting this park and I can't wait to get my butt on this coaster because it looks like its going to be a wild ride. On another note, does anyone have any tips for first time visitors to SDC?

I hate teasing but super excited to raise money and hear the results for this brain-storming luncheon!

I'll be there again this here... not sure if it'll be Cedar Point or Kings Island, 8 hrs on the Racer with hitting the bottom of the 2nd drop hill hard really builds up on your spine after a few hours but I still had a lot of fun.

I like the drop into the sharks mouth but it needs to be a dive machine drop so that way you can contemplate being eaten by a shark for a few seconds.

Are fast passes available to avoid lines?

Hey All, Sorry work has been killing me with this whole upgrading 400 pc's to Windows 7. I meant to post this sooner but I just got home from TN last Saturday and have been playing catchup all week. My special delivery was waiting on me when I got home, Thank you Santa Clause, I love it all! A new head piece over the headboard if the boss says its ok, I'm thinking! who knew Luke Skywalker liked to party with the Indianapolis Colts rookies, I want an invitation to this party!

first they have to get someone to actually run it and manage it before rides start being taken apart. I'm not really getting my hopes up since I live in Louisville and we've been through this to many times just to have something fall through and the whole thing begins again. It breaks my heart every time I drive by there and look over and see all the abandoned rides and how far the deterioration has gone.

I'm thinking that since the ornament is almost as big as her body that she's going to sweep it home and into place with her mighty mighty broom. Fear the broom ne'er more!

Totally! I will definitely have to make plans to attend this one and hope to hear some amazing mind shattering announcement before the release it to the gq... maybe a whole brand new area with a massive fast steel coaster? *keeping fingers crossed*

awesome videos and looks like a fun time to be had. Is IAAPA open to anyone that can afford a ticket or do you have to have certain credentials to attend? I would love to go to one of these sometime if its open to the general public.

Its so cool to see such a response, here's a few things I like: *Colts *Godsmack *Surprises *gag gifts *Star Wars

Well, it's something. The difference this time from what I heard is that Hart wants to use the rides and equipment to help secure the bank loan which there is a state law that will permit contractors or 3rd party business groups to use State Equipment to secure financing.

I'm down for my first ever TPR gift exchange and have gotten the Boss's (wifey) permission of course.

Nah, not dirty at all now maybe if Ho Ho Ho was mentioned that would definitely been naughty.

Not to mention the fact that Ed Hart never seems to keep his parks for very long before he sells them again. He didn't hold onto Magic Springs for very long either. His strategy seems to be adding quantity attractions instead of quality. You don't need 5-7 coasters to be credible, you need 3 great ones chosen carefully (and not necessarily always expensive ones either, just not clones). So very true. The best parks in my opinion are the family owned or parks that have been around for more than 50 years but they still manage to stay profitable and families manage to have fun and keep coming back for more.

I have to agree Elissa. I think its been forgotten about for too long and will never be the same. It will never be able to compete with Holiday World or Kings Island but it is at least nice to see someone willing to take it on since it provides many teens not only a good summer time job but also a good place to hang out. My question is why Ed Hart even sold it in the first place after all the work he had done and turned it around and it was becoming a pretty well known regional park and if he takes it over again will he do the same thing and then who ever buys it will they not keep improving it and strip rides from it all over again.

What I was wondering is if its going to be running on the steel plates shouldn't they make it smooth instead of having pop riverts on the outsides sticking up because if the wheels are in the middle isn't there a chance they could hit one of the rivet heads if the wheels get a little bit off center?

I know its too early but this is a good sign. The Kentucky Finance Cabinet actually wants to meet with Ed Hart and his group in an actual meeting to discuss Hart's proposal: The Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet has contacted Louisville businessman Ed Hart to discuss his proposal to reopen the Kentucky Kingdom amusement park. As Business First reported, a meeting between cabinet officials and Hart's Kentucky Kingdom Redevelopment Co. is being arranged for next week, according to a news release from the company. Hart is a previous owner and operator of Kentucky Kingdom. Hart’s proposal calls for an investment of $120 million to reopen the park, which closed in 2009 and remained shuttered after Six Flags Inc. abandoned its lease amid bankruptcy proceedings. Here's the link to the article: http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/blog/morning_call/2012/11/state-seeks-details-about-harts.html

I think this deal could both be a really good thing and a really bad thing. Disney has been known to take something and remake it into the world of Disney. Hopefully they won't do this to the legacy that Star Wars has become.

I totally agree and I might have slightly over-estimated in my sarcasm but I just can't believe the State thinks that even if they backed a loan or had rides used to back the loan that they would never see that money again. The State just doesn't want to accept that over a few years they would get that back and probably eventually double or triple that over the course of whatever kind of lease is agreed upon, but unfortunately I have to side with the general consensus here that this park is never going to see the light of day again. The State has made it pretty clear they don't want to work with Hart anymore.

It sure is looking like that especially know that Beshear is working on getting Williams out of his way once and for all. It won't be long before casinoss are legal here in Kentucky. I just think its funny that the State doesn't want to be on the hook for 30 million or take any chances of any kind of debt. Helllooooo, the park in the first year its open is going to make way more than 30 million.

Kudos to Holiday World for adding more fun. On another note did I also read or see somewhere that this year on Mammoth that they'll be adding the same type of straight rafts to it as well as the round ones? I thought I saw in this thread or on the Holidog but it could be my imagination or old age creeping in.

wow, I'm so jealous. I too wish more American coasters had this kind of view. Looks like you all had a good ole time. I wish I could have afforded to go.