Photo TR: Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom - 6/1/07

[total13]

I took my first trip to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, my new home SF park, Friday, June 1, 2007. It was my first Six Flags experience since moving away from my old home park – Great America in IL. Needless to say, the old cliché kind of rings true in this case; I thought SFGAm sucked while I was there & now I miss it coz KK wasn’t even close to the quality of SF that I was used to.

 

That being said, there were a couple things I found at KK that I never encountered before. First, it was over 90 degrees and a food stand that I stopped at had no cold water at 4:00 in the afternoon – not a huge deal but I had never been told “sorry, we have no cold water” before. At another food stand, I used a Season Pass coupon to save $2.00 and when the total seemed higher than expected, I asked for a receipt. The clerk told me that it was their “policy to throw out the receipts”. Strangely enough, my pocket was filled with receipts from every other stand I had visited during the day. Again, not a huge deal, but seemed kinda fishy. Then, while I was on the Himalaya, a kid two cars in front of me grabbed the leg of the girl directly in front me (his sister, I guessed) and held onto it for a good part of the ride. No harm was done, but I thought that it was quite unsafe and was kinda shocked that the ride op didn’t notice (or care). Earlier in this same ride, however, the ride op did stop the ride because a mother standing on the exit ramp thought that one of the riders (maybe her child) was getting sick. Needless to say, they were fine and the ride resumed, so we essentially had two rides in a row.

 

The final problem I encountered was actually a pretty big deal to me coz I was almost removed from Greezed Lightnin’ for… not taking my sunglasses off. When I pointed out to the ride op that a) I had ridden it two days prior (I stopped in briefly before closing) and was not instructed to remove them and b) the rider in my exact seat in the last car was wearing glasses - WTF?!? (I obviously didn’t say that, but I was surely thinking it). She responded with, “Those were prescription glasses”. So, what’s the difference? Glasses are glasses, right?!? She (and I) refused to drop the issue - I wear hard contacts and they get really dry on coasters so sunglasses provide a nice shield from the wind. So I asked her what happens if I don’t take them off and she responded with, “You will have to leave the ride”. I was pretty fed up at this point and actually ended up talking to an operations manager at the end of my day and I am so not one of those “I’m taking this to management" types.

 

The manager was very nice and assured me that the ride op was not following park policy by forcing me to remove my glasses – it is strictly suggested and at the rider’s discretion. She even offered to personally escort me to a ride of my choice (and possibly ride it with me) and an exit pass, but I respectfully declined as I didn’t want anything to come out it except some clarification and standardization of park policy.

 

Don’t get me wrong, there were some good aspects to the park as you will, hopefully, see in the pics and video. This park’s video is located here:

 

As always, thanks for reading!

On my way back to Nashville, I stopped for gas and spotted this eerie sign for Guntown Mountain perched in the hills. It refers to itself as an amusement park but doesn't have any coasters that I'm aware of. Anyone been there?

Well, SFKK... You sure have a lot of work to do, but you didn't completely disappoint me. I will be back again - just not any time real soon.

Perhaps not the best idea with the what-seemed-like five minute cycle. Thankfully, there was a Funnel Cake shop nearby. (Sorry no pics of the FC - I ate it too quickly)

I was so stoked to ride Breakdance that I saved it for the last ride of the day.

It was your typical mouse that kinda gets lost with all of Greezed Lightnin's glow-in-the-dark-ness in the background.

Next up Roadrunner Express. Why do wild mice (mouses?!?) seem to have much cooler entrances these days?

I'm not sure about the day-glo green paint but Greezed Lightnin'/Tidal Wave will always be special to me. It's still just as fun as I remembered it (even without sunglasses)!

Hooray for walking the entire park to finally arrive at my destination!

Ok, now you are just taunting me. I'm on my way!

...my very first coaster with an inversion when it was called the Tidal Wave at SFGAm - Greezed Lightnin'.

So I've made it back the to Giant Wheel (no, I'm still not riding it). That means that I must be heading back towards...

Maybe someone else brought the tree problem to their attention, coz they parked a train on the lift later in the day.

The second corkscrew and signature shot of my new favorite stand up! BTW I actually did grab one of the trees. Time to do some trimming guys!

The first corkscrew which is better than Mantis' only corkscrew IMO.

Horray for inclined loops although they are not an official inversion IMO.

My favorite part!

Hooray for dive loops!

Chang through the trees! (Which is harder than it looks coz there ain't many trees at SFKK)

The scenery isn't quite as nice as Mantis' at CP. You didn't think it was possible, huh?!?

Chang towers over everything in the park - strangely opposite to Mantis at CP.

Damn! No one in line to allow me some recuperation time.

After being smashed to smithereens on T2, is it really a good idea to do Chang next?

...now!!!

...stop...

...it...

Make...

Unlike Thunder Run, I hadn't heard good things about T2 but had to ride my first SLC to see if everyone is blowing their suckiness way out of proportion.

The rapid ride apparantly takes you on a tour through abandoned warehouses as opposed to an actual river rapid.

I think you can remove this sign now. BTW I can't imagine having to turn around here! It has to be the most poorly designed park when it comes to pathway flow.

The trees in front of Thunder Run. It's a shame trees actually died to build that coaster. Such a shame coz I've heard it used to be good.

The "real" Legend 3, the "fake" Legend (still) 0. That is the first coaster I ever got off saying, "Just tear it down". Yes, it's that bad these days.

The "real" Legend 2, the "fake" Legend 0. That first drop felt like a kiddie coaster.

The "real" Legend 1, the "fake" Legend 0. That sign is kinda cheesy.

I'd heard good things about Thunder Run, but I'm pretty sure I rode the Legend yesterday at Holiday World. You actually think you can compete?

The Zeppelin. Too bad they didn't put the Led in it. They could've been threatened with legal action by two (!!) bands...

The green one (Stella, I think) rode better for me in the back than the pink one (Lola, I'm guessing) did for me in the front.

Next up Twisted Sisters. Sorry. Twisted Twins. Don't sue me Dee Snyder & band. I am a fan. "I Wanna Rock!"

Thank god for MHF on a 90+ degree day!

Signature shot (I guess) of Mile High Falls.

I must be in the shoe department of the park...

I had always heard of Flying Dutchman but had never seen one.

Cute & fun-ish first credit of the day.

The International Carousel looked nice but I think I see Roller Skater through the ride and trees.

Unfortunately, this was the most scenic shot I got on the way to the back of the park...

...and symmetrical.

I finally made it to the Giant Wheel that you couldn't pay me to ride. It is pretty giant...

...that's coz it's behind me now - back on the other side of the bridge were I just came from. WTF?!? Oh well, I ain't turning back now!

I ended up taking the bridge over the road that runs through the park to the Splashwater Kingdom side of the park and saw a ton of rides that were really far away but no Greezed Lightnin'...

Wait, there's Greezed Lightnin' on the sign! But didn't I just come from that direction?!? I am so lost!

Not that I would've ridden it, but Rainbow was closed today.

I've never felt so unsafe on an Enterprise before - it rattled quite a bit during the skyward portions. Perhaps I was a bit skittish coz of the fire one (not this one) had a couple weeks prior.

Sweet! I found an Enterprise called um... Enterprise.

To quote Bono & U2 (who I can't stand, BTW) I still haven't found what I'm looking for...

Since it was so hot, I checked out the Looney Tunes simulation Theater that was actually pretty cool (in concept and temperature).

I love the inside of these things even tho you can't tell what it is once the ride starts.

Sure, I'll stop to ride Himalaya.

OK, which way to Greezed Lightnin'? I'm guessing to the right...

The entrance with the Giant Wheel on the left and Superman: Tower of Power (formerly Hellavator, which everyone still calls it) on the right. Why not start the day off with a 150 foot freefall drop?

Arriving at the park, I thought I was driving past the Myrtle Beach Pavilion (RIP) - something about a CCI butted up to the road...

[odene497]

You've got to turn LEFT at Hellevator ( or whatever it is) to get to Greased Lightnin'!

 

Anyways nice pictures.

 

 

-Nick C.

[spaceace12]

I went to SFKK the day after HWN, My main draw was yours, and I ended up on the other side of the bridge. I pretty much agree with your coaster thoughts. The main reason I went was to make my Season pass worth what I paid for it.

[EagleFan344]

Ugh Greezed Lightnin was closed when I was there. Oh well I get to go on Montezooma's Revenge in July.

[total13]

odene497 wrote: "You've got to turn LEFT at Hellevator ( or whatever it is) to get to Greased Lightnin'! Anyways nice pictures.

 

Yes, I finally did realize the flaw of my plan after it was too late - I will remember next time. Thanks for the comment on the pics!

 

spaceace12 wrote: "I went to SFKK the day after HWN, My main draw was yours, and I ended up on the other side of the bridge. I pretty much agree with your coaster thoughts. The main reason I went was to make my Season pass worth what I paid for it."

 

Yeah, next to HW (despite its lack of rides, in general, to SF parks) SFKK pales in comparison. The main reason I finally got a SF season pass is coz I'm hitting up both SFKK & SFOG this year - they're both about the same distance away from me.

 

EagleFan344 wrote: "Ugh Greezed Lightnin was closed when I was there. Oh well I get to go on Montezooma's Revenge in July."

 

It's been 22 years since I did Monte when I was 10 years old (back when it was yellow) and, yeah, it's the same ride - although it was cool to revisit my first looping coaster (Tidal Lightnin') many years later. I wish more Schwarzkopf shuttle loops were around these days but I guess they pretty much invented the one-trick-pony division of coasters. I don't care though coz I could ride them forever. There's hardly ever a wait for them (coz they're so short) and the "perfect" loop feels distinct for me in a "I remember when..." kind of way.

[Masked_Maverick]

I have been to Guntown Mountain and there were zero Coasters when I went. Of course this was years ago but I doubt that it has changed. I remember there was a scrambler close to the edge of the mountain and I remember something with can-can girls. I don't remember much else though.

[alpengeist04]

Thanks for the pics, and nice job on the TR. Make...it...stop...now!!! lol