mikeykaise

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.

omg, this looks like an amazing woodie and might just be the reason I have to visit SDC. I'm thinking if the people that made SOB would have used their heads and done a steel support structure like this one and Voyage that Kings Island wouldn't have to be tearing it down and it would genuinely be a good ride but oh well.

awesome trip report. Business trips that bring you close to new credits is a very good thing and is my favorite kind of business trip.

I'm going to be different and go with 9 duckies as far as I counted I think. My BMRS withdraw has been fixed, I so needed that thank you Big Mike

nice picture... looks like someone is just seconds from suffering a wardrobe malfunction.

This is the same reason that Six Flags pulled out of the whole deal, until the Fair Board goes bye bye and they sell the land to a park company not just lease it no one is going to want to deal with the Fair Board. The Fair Board is the problem that needs to be fixed since there are a lot of interested parties but no one wants to deal with them because of the headaches.

Cannonball at Lake Winnie in Chattanooga yesterday evening.

well, well, well, no surprise but the Koch family has withdrawn from the Bluegrass Boardwalk project. Its never going to reopen because no one wants to deal with all the headaches that come with dealing with the Kentucky State Fair board. Here is the official statement from the Bluegrass Boardwalk website: Bluegrass Boardwalk withdraws from project June 15th, 2012 Paula We’re so sorry to share this sad and disappointing news. Thank you to all who expressed their unbridled enthusiasm in this project. We will remove this website plus our Facebook and Twitter pages within the week. The following news release was emailed to the news media this afternoon: Bluegrass Boardwalk withdraws from project (June 15, 2012) Louisville, Kentucky —Following nine months of planning to reopen Louisville’s shuttered amusement park, Bluegrass Boardwalk, Inc. today withdrew from the project. “We entered into this discussion last October with full expectation of leasing the park,” says Bluegrass Boardwalk CEO Natalie Koch. “However, we have come to the realization that leasing a park rather than owning it would take us too far from the business model my family has followed for more than 60 years.” Koch says she and her partners were financially prepared to meet the challenge of reopening the abandoned park, however the many layers of governmental regulations and stipulations ultimately caused them to withdraw. Koch says she and her partners believe reopening the Louisville park is still a worthwhile project and they wish the future operator well. “It’s been a lifelong dream for my family to operate a second park,” says Koch, whose family owns and operates Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana. “It’s hard to walk away from what we believed was a winning partnership for Kentucky and our team. But at the end of the day, the terms of the project did not fit our business model. It was time to withdraw.” A letter terminating the proposed lease agreement was delivered to the Kentucky State Fair Board this afternoon.

ok, I've reached my draft choice after consulting with sages, mages, and spending hours meditating with my Jedi Master I will have to go with the one that grew up in the same home town as me, Columbus Indiana, the Columbus Comet, the Rushville Rocket, the best athlete out there by far, the man himself, the driver of the #14 car, two-time NASCAR champion....... TOOOOOOOOOONNNNNYYYY STEWWWWWAAAARRRTTTT!!!!! Go Tony!!!

I like both brides, one for each arm that way.

here is a link to a video that Kings Island had us make right after doing the group photo of all the Kings Island coasters in front of the racer before we started our all day ride. Enjoy: http://twitpic.com/9uzo72

Well I'm finally sitting here resting my sore back and shoulders all I can say wow! what a blast. Kings Island had a good TPR turnout with 11 people. What a funny group of people. I had fun and never thought I'd hear myself say "No more coasters for me today" but at 5pm after getting soaked on the Log Flume and Whitewater Canyon to cool off I was just coastered out. I thought having two families that personally visited and stayed at GKTW was awesome even though something in my lunch made my eyes start to water. I had a blast talking to the people on the red train as we were going up the lift hill and of course some friendly race talking was taking place. I loved all the people I met and was happy to make more TPR connections and friends. All in all I have to say I can't wait until next year!!!!