TR: Holiday World & SFKK (5-12-07)

[JNoonez]

Hi. This is my first post. I've been lurking, reading, and enjoying this forum for a long while, but I'm on my first partially sad-and-pathetic trip, visiting some parks on my way to visit a friend in Nashville, and I figured I'd post my thoughts along the way. No photos from today, but I plan on hitting both parks again on my way back through the area.

 

HOLIDAY WORLD

 

After landing in Louisville at 12:30, I rushed excitedly to my rental car and made it to Santa Claus by 12:30, Central Time. I was finally at *the* Holiday World... I remember obsessively watching my first 3D coaster video, rewinding the segment on the Raven until the tape broke, so I think it's safe to say I was particularly thrilled to be here. I was prepared for greatness.

 

I got... dare I say, mediocrity in every respect. I realize that this is going to be an unpopular opinion amongst many, but I am stating with as fair a mind as possible that I was completely underwhelmed by Holiday World.

 

The Voyage is a solid top-twenty wood coaster--nothing less, nothing more for me personally. My main gripe is that it's too aggressive for my tastes to be able to 'let go' and enjoy it. Not to mention there's just not a defining moment on a ride whose very length would seem to lend itself to at least a few 'wow' moments. The airtime was fair at best, and there was some pretty noticeable washboarding on the bottoms of the first two drops (nothing severe, though). The second ninety-degree followed by the block really kills momentum, and the ride photo is taken at the one truly uncomfortable moment on the ride, which leads to some pretty grim-looking on-ride photos. I have to say my rides in the back were a bit more exciting. All in all, a disappointment, and certainly not my favorite coaster in the park.

 

The Raven is closer to a top-five wooden coaster, judging by the rides it was giving today. 'The drop' was excellent as advertised--even with some pretty unrelenting stapling, it delivered. The lake turn was tracking a little strangely, but there was lots of new wood on the ride, and it translated into a wild, but nearly glass-smooth finish. It's a great, solid ride, which benefits greatly from a wonderful setting.

 

I just wish I could have gotten more rides. The ride was running one train, and staffed by two employees (one of whom was also operating the control panel). On a moderately busy Saturday, I call shenanigans. I feel like a lot of people pull punches when it comes to this park, but it's ridiculous that other parks get slammed for single-train operation, and this park often seems to get a pass for the same thing. It's a shame, too, because the ride's so good, but I got frustrated waiting an unnecessarily long time for each ride.

 

It was for this reason that I only rode Legend a few times. The line was down the stairs all three times I waited (about twenty minutes). Legend is fun but unspectacular, but it's fast and interacts really nicely with its surroundings and its track was literally caked with grease (Voyage, by contrast, was bone dry). I got a couple nice pops of air, and the double helix tracked remarkably well and had some power to it.

 

I left the park after three hours, having accomplished everything I wanted to on the dry side of the park (including Gobbler Getaway, which was very well done). Grabbed lunch, which was tasty and so reasonably priced.

 

My general sense is that the park and its employees believe the hype about the Golden Tickets and Applause Awards so strongly that maybe they don't feel like they have to try as hard now. Nothing I witnessed today would make me say Friendliest Park (or even Cleanest Park). The employees were pleasant enough--to each other, primarily. I saw lots of camaraderie between employees, but I felt very little of that carrying over to the guests.

 

And the coaster crews were mediocre, at best. There were six employees on The Voyage platform running two trains, and all but two times I rode, they stacked the trains. I don't want to beat a dead horse, but I was just really underwhelmed with the entire park. If I hadn't already purchased another day's ticket, I might consider not returning on Tuesday. I do hope my visit today was just a fluke. I want to like this park so badly. Well, after this, I hopped back to Luhlville and headed to SFKK with really low expectations.

 

SIX FLAGS KENTUCKY KINGDOM

 

For a park that has a great deal going against it, I was more than pleasantly surprised with SFKK. Yes, the layout absolutely sucks. Yes, the park is a little (in some places, a lot) rough around the edges cosmetically. But I have to say, I liked what I saw in the two hours I was there today. Employees (to a fault) were really nice, always asking if I was having a good day. The security guard struck up a nice conversation about all the different Season Passes he's seen this year. They have a few more than adequate coasters, and a passable collection of flats.

 

My first stop was Thunder Run, and it ended up being my longest wait of the evening at 15 minutes. Good, solid ride. Some nice air. Too bad it's a one-train op. But the crew was hustling like they never do on the woodies at SFNE. I'm excited to try this one on a few different seats.

 

Chang was great! I'm not a huge stand-up fan, but it was smooth and powerful and had a couple pops of standing air (which was a great sensation). Two-train op with very little stacking. This was a great crew, having fun with the few guests in the station.

 

Twisted Twins was pretty lame. After riding Legend today, I cannot imagine riding that with the Gerstlauer trains! They track so strangely, and the noises they make are ungodly! Trackwork was very smooth, though, and both sides were running (and dueling/racing). Ops were allowing those in the trains to find empty seats, so I got to sample a few rides on each side. Nothing spectacular, and it's probably one of the weakest applications of the racing/dueling format.

 

Greezed Lightnin' was a walk-on. I love the engineering and construction of these rides. They are strong, intimidating--almost muscular, if that makes any sense. I friggin' love the lapbars on the Schwarzkopf trains. They are secure without being the least bit intrusive. I love how they pop open so dramatically at the end of the ride. 'Get the hell of the train... ride me again,' it screams. So, I did. Several times without leaving the platform thanks to the great ride-ops.

 

That was about it. I did the drop tower, and forgot how much I prefer the Intamin towers to the variety of S&S towers. They're ballsy. And I'm fascinated by the simplicity of their design. This one's pretty short, but it still packs a nice punch. The mouse was crazy neutered. I skipped T2 because I value my brain matter above and beyond snagging a credit, but I'd imagine I'll take a spin on it when I hit the park tomorrow morning on my way to Dollywood. So, a good visit to a park I'd heard very little positive words about. I really do hope the new customer service mantra sticks through the course of a long, muggy summer, because I've had a few really excellent experiences at Six Flags parks this year.

 

So, there you go. My first post. My little solo jaunt got off to a great start, and despite some of my criticisms, it was a really, really great day. Looking forward to Dollywood...

 

Jarrad

[spaceace12]

I can honestly say, you probably just went on a bad day. HW staff is really nice, as far as I am concerned. As for staffing, this time of year it is normally small due to most of the staff still being in school. As for your review of the voyage. It is my number 1 due to airtime and the fact it never lets up. To me the only part that sticks out is the 3 90 degree turns and its speed, other than that it is a top thrill ride. I can't wait to ride it in pitch black.

[imbordisux]

No reason to brace yourself for backlash - the people on this board are pretty nice, and even where there are disagreements, they're usually kept pretty civil.

 

My wife and I loved our one visit to Holiday World last June, it became an instant fave for us (The Voyage is my #1 and her #2), but from what we saw and have heard, the park does seem to be rather stubborn about running more than one train even when it's warranted. That didn't really bother us, as we're used to SFGAdv, but we can definitely understand why it would bother others.

 

And, like you, we both really liked SFKK; nothing amazing, but a really solid "medium" park with some unique rides (and Thunder Run was awesome).

 

Nice to hear such frank opinions.

[Meteornotes]

Thanks for posting. I have not been to HW in a few years, but I remember seeing similar things to what you describe. You're right, no park should be excused from the "running one train" rant, no matter what park it is.

 

And SFKK was an OK park the last time I was there. Chang and Thunder Run were fun, and T2 was, um, not good. You never forget your first SLC...

 

dt

[thrillerman1]

Interesting TR. After having ridden both Kentucky Rumbler and Thunderhead weekends prior to my trip to HW last Sunday, I too was surprised at the lack of grease on The Voyage. KR & Thunderhead were greased really well. Then I arrived at HW with my first ride of the day being on The Voyage and I was like what...no grease? Seems strange.

[spaceace12]

Also keep in mind, that the voyage was 1/3 retracked at the end of last year, so there isn't much use on the new wood. Try riding in august in high heat and humidity. It will be screaming more.

[cfc]

Welcome to TPR--excellent job on your first post.

 

I had a similar experience at Six Flags America to what you had at SFKK. I'd heard quite a few bad things about the park, but when I finally visited the place a few weeks ago, I had a great time. I think spring is definitely the best time to visit some of these "mediocre" parks, before the summer hordes ride in.

[ParkTrips]

Actually not only do I not mind your thoughts on Holiday World, I agree with a lot of what you said (if not everything). Lets see...

 

We saw Voyage running 1 train even with a 20 minute wait - lame!

 

I thought that the Voyage is almost too intense and that there wasn't anything truly outstanding during the ride.

 

"After riding Legend today, I cannot imagine riding that with the Gerstlauer trains!" - yup! I think those may have even been my exact words!

 

but then again, we probably just hit it on one of their bad days

 

Nice report!

[carolinacaniac]

Welcome to the review!

 

As others have said, there is nothing wrong with having your opinion, even if it is not the same as others. I personally have not been to either Holiday World or Kentucky Kingdom, so I can't really agree or disagree with what you say. But you should never feel like you can't say what you feel because it will go against the grain.

[DerekRx]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, you did a really good job of explaining yourself. Don't feel bad about not liking Holiday World, I know many people who have had the less than stellar times there that they go in expecting. I've only been at the park during events, so I'm sure all staff is on their best behavior then, but I know many people who have gone at other times and been like "what? THIS is the Holiday World everyone is praising?!" Glad you managed to get on all the coasters though and managed to enjoy SFKK, a park that I've never had a horrible time at myself. Good luck with the rest of your trip, hope Dollywood goes better for you. Be sure to take some pictures and share them when you have a chance!

[ConleyKE]

Glad you had a great time at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom! I know this park gets a lot of criticism (including from me sometimes), but my homepark has really improved from last year to today. I agree with basically all that you said, and you're really great at explaining things.

 

SFKK layout sucks! Waterpark stuck in the middle = no room for expansion. I can't believe that they found room for Deluge this year. Besides, it's a pain to walk all the way around the water park to hit all the rides.

 

I love how they pop open so dramatically at the end of the ride. 'Get the hell of the train... ride me again,' it screams.

 

Haha, very true!

 

I'm not a huge stand-up fan, but it was smooth and powerful and had a couple pops of standing air (which was a great sensation).

 

I don't know what part of the ride you are talking about, but I'm assuming its the little bunny hop directly before the MCBR, which I think is the best part of the whole coaster.

 

I cannot imagine riding that with the Gerstlauer trains! They track so strangely, and the noises they make are ungodly! Trackwork was very smooth, though, and both sides were running (and dueling/racing). Ops were allowing those in the trains to find empty seats, so I got to sample a few rides on each side. Nothing spectacular, and it's probably one of the weakest applications of the racing/dueling format.

 

As for Twisted Twins, in the what seems like hundreds of times I've been at SFKK, whenever they have both sides opperating, they have ALWAYS been racing and/or (lack of) dueling. Big kudos from an opperational stand point. And yes, that "nail on chalboard" like sound is unbarable, especially the very last unbanked helix on the green train side.

 

Other than that, I do disagree on Holiday World (but I'm sure you've been expecting that). Great TR!

[N'at Man]

JNoonez, you did a good job explaining your opinions. I'm curious, what wood coasters do you think are the best? The one complaint I hear about the Voyage is that it is too aggressive but that's what I like. Typically people who don't rate the Voyage highly prefer the Thunderheads or El Toros of the world (although Thunderhead is more aggressive this year).

[MonkeyPants]

Well, there's a twist... Dislikes HW, but likes SFKK. Well, as others have said, you're welcome to your opinion. Personally, I love HW. I love almost every aspect of it, and can't wait for Holiwood nights this weekend!

 

Oh, and welcome to the forum!

[Manic Monte]

Well it was only a matter of time before the backlash...

 

Holiday World was MUCH more fun before everyone started talking about it and making a big deal out of it. It was a small, down home, out of the way park with 2 awesome wooden coasters, and cheap prices.

 

Unfortunately now (although good for them), the cat's out of the bag, and everyone is planning trips there and expecting the park equivalent of God, and I have to admit it takes some of the fun and discovery out of it.

 

As the park grows in both status and attractions, so will the differing opinions. Say what you want though, this park takes care of us (enthusiasts) every time we set foot in the place. And I don't care what anyone says, The Voyage is simply a masterpiece. There are no stand out moments, because the entire ride is ONE LONG stand out moment!

[jamesdillaman]

I'd just like to point out that a 20 minute wait is a ridiculous thing to be complaining about on here. If I ran the park I wouldn't put another train on either if the crowds were that light. Especially for a smaller park, any way they can save money on the slower days helps maintenence costs stay down and profit stay in the black. It bugs me that enthusiasts feel like they're better than anyone else and shouldn't have to wait in line to ride a good ride, while the GP for the most part is more than happy to wait 2 hours at Cedar Point for MF or Dragster, and I even didn't hear one complaint at HW when we were in line an hour for the Voyage. If the themeparks didn't have waits, there'd be no more themeparks, because they wouldn't be making money.

 

Rant out of the way, sorry you didn't enjoy the park. I know the Koch's take great pride in their operations, and I know Paula (RavenMaven) posts here on a regular basis, so they probably appreciate the feedback, even if it isn't positive. As for Voyage, I agree it's intense, but even so, I can't fault it for being intense, it's just relentless and I can't believe you didn't have much airtime. I have had an off day or two at HW, but can honestly say my worst day at HW still beats my best day at SFKK, if only for the free soft drinks alone. I think the park is put on a pedastal, and people are expecting too much out of a family-run park. For overall park value, few places top HW in my book, and as a struggling mid-20's guy trying to get by and still get to themeparks, I appreciate a park I can go and spend the entire day at for $40 (including food!!).

 

-James Dillaman

[BamBam36]

Name me a few coasters that you think are better than Voyage and why.

No stand out moments? I'm sure you didn't ride it at night but the triple down in the dark is phenomenal. Better bring a few condoms for this part.

 

Personally I was not overly impressed with Voyage. I loved the triple down and worshipped the last third of the ride, but the first two-thirds of the ride were uneventful. I still love it and its my number 3 coaster of 131, but it was not "blows everything out of the water", like everyone was making it out to be.

 

Now Legend on the other hand was SMOOOOOOOKIN. Nothing but speed from start to finish. No let up the whole ride. Best part is people say it now runs sluggish. I wish I had the chance to ride it when it was new. It would have been #1 in a second.(Its number 2 behind Boulder Dash, which is also mind blowing)

[Wes]

No stand out moments? I'm sure you didn't ride it at night but the triple down in the dark is phenomenal. Better bring a few condoms for this part.

 

This is the worst thing that's ever been posted.

[I love DW]

Wow I can't believe Holiday World the king of parks is getting dissed. I'm shocked...

 

but yet completely agree with pretty much everything you said.

 

I got... dare I say, mediocrity in every respect. I realize that this is going to be an unpopular opinion amongst many, but I am stating with as fair a mind as possible that I was completely underwhelmed by Holiday World.

It's popular by me because most is true for me also.

 

 

The Voyage is a solid top-twenty wood coaster--nothing less, nothing more for me personally. My main gripe is that it's too aggressive for my tastes to be able to 'let go' and enjoy it. Not to mention there's just not a defining moment on a ride whose very length would seem to lend itself to at least a few 'wow' moments. The airtime was fair at best, and there was some pretty noticeable washboarding on the bottoms of the first two drops (nothing severe, though). The second ninety-degree followed by the block really kills momentum, and the ride photo is taken at the one truly uncomfortable moment on the ride, which leads to some pretty grim-looking on-ride photos. I have to say my rides in the back were a bit more exciting. All in all, a disappointment, and certainly not my favorite coaster in the park.

I personally thought the Voyage was a good coaster but was to long and rough. Although I thought Legend was even rougher.

 

 

I just wish I could have gotten more rides. The ride was running one train, and staffed by two employees (one of whom was also operating the control panel). On a moderately busy Saturday, I call shenanigans. I feel like a lot of people pull punches when it comes to this park, but it's ridiculous that other parks get slammed for single-train operation, and this park often seems to get a pass for the same thing. It's a shame, too, because the ride's so good, but I got frustrated waiting an unnecessarily long time for each ride.

Same when I went last time the Raven had two people one also running control panel. Plus they keep crossing the track switching side for every train.

 

 

It was for this reason that I only rode Legend a few times. The line was down the stairs all three times I waited (about twenty minutes).

When I was there they were running Voyage with two trains then switched to one. It took them so long to take a train off that the 5 minute line wait went to about 40 min. and stayed that way pretty much the rest of the day.

 

 

 

My general sense is that the park and its employees believe the hype about the Golden Tickets and Applause Awards so strongly that maybe they don't feel like they have to try as hard now. Nothing I witnessed today would make me say Friendliest Park (or even Cleanest Park). The employees were pleasant enough--to each other, primarily. I saw lots of camaraderie between employees, but I felt very little of that carrying over to the guests.

The exact same thing I felt after I left the park. To much hype I think has went to there heads and there was at no point would I say Holiday World had friendly staff. DW, SDC, Disney World (in no certain order) all had friendlier staff.

 

 

I don't want to beat a dead horse, but I was just really underwhelmed with the entire park.

Me too.

 

I do hope my visit today was just a fluke. I want to like this park so badly.

Hopefully it was but I've heard of this happening to several different people on different occasions so I wouldn't go to the park expecting to much.

[ginzo]

I'd just like to point out that a 20 minute wait is a ridiculous thing to be complaining about on here. If I ran the park I wouldn't put another train on either if the crowds were that light. Especially for a smaller park, any way they can save money on the slower days helps maintenence costs stay down and profit stay in the black. It bugs me that enthusiasts feel like they're better than anyone else and shouldn't have to wait in line to ride a good ride, while the GP for the most part is more than happy to wait 2 hours at Cedar Point for MF or Dragster, and I even didn't hear one complaint at HW when we were in line an hour for the Voyage. If the themeparks didn't have waits, there'd be no more themeparks, because they wouldn't be making money.

 

I disagree a bit here James. To me locking guests up in lines unnecessarily is bad for business. Waiting in line makes people grouchy and gives them less time to spend money in the park. Of course, on a super slow day single train operations are OK, even preferable. There's a safety increase to having single train operations because there's zero chance of trains wrecking into one another like, say, Lisebergbanan did last year.

[Guy T. Koepp]

Welcome to Theme Park Review. Congrats on a well thought out, honest trip report. I have never been to either park, so I can't comment. I will be at KK in the Fall, so I at least have that to look forward to.

 

Keep up the good work, and enjoy yourself at Dollywood. I have been there. It rocks!

 

So don't get go saying anything negative about it.