Midgetman82 Posted February 21 Posted February 21 4 hours ago, tndank said: Wildwood Groove 2.0 Honestly? Kind of incredible.
prozach626 Posted February 21 Posted February 21 I'm glad Herschend is putting their stamp on the park in a big way this time around.
mikeykaise Posted February 21 Posted February 21 I think the only thing I don't like is changing Thunder Run > Woodland Run, Storm Chaser > Wind Chaser and RollerSkater to Hollyhock and Roll.
mikeykaise Posted February 21 Posted February 21 On 12/26/2024 at 1:54 PM, prozach626 said: Always good to hear. I'm glad Herschend is starting to put money into this park. I wonder if this will go in T3's site. No, this will be the area between Thunder Run and Roller Skater back to Storm Chaser and includes the Carousel and Mile High Falls.
ZeldaACFan17 Posted March 24 Posted March 24 The second ride in the preview... Is it a Zamperla Flying Tigers ride? I like that one. The re-themed Jump Around looks like fun too! Or wait... Is it added on or just a re theme and relocation of the existing Jump Around ride (The frog one)?
ZeldaACFan17 Posted March 24 Posted March 24 Something I didn't see in the ride list was a re-theme of the bouncy drop tower ride, Pounce and Bounce, to this... Or is that one new too?
Black323 Posted June 4 Posted June 4 Anybody have thoughts about the teaser and new coming to Kentucky Kingdom next year?
Sportsdude360 Posted June 4 Posted June 4 9 hours ago, Black323 said: Anybody have thoughts about the teaser and new coming to Kentucky Kingdom next year? Could you provide a link. I haven't seen it.
mikeykaise Posted June 4 Posted June 4 2 hours ago, Sportsdude360 said: Could you provide a link. I haven't seen it. I found this on Reddit when I searched for KK 2026 teaser:
Sportsdude360 Posted June 5 Posted June 5 My guess would be a wing rider. 7 hours ago, mikeykaise said: I found this on Reddit when I searched for KK 2026 teaser: My guess would be a wing rider.
thepoint4life23 Posted June 6 Posted June 6 I thought it was just someone posting a throw back picture when Kentucky Flyer was being teased. Same colors same theme.
Midgetman82 Posted June 21 Posted June 21 It's new. All of the flats in the front corner of the park around Lightning Run were either removed (so long Cyclos) or moved to Discovery Meadow in the back. That whole area is lined with fences and there's a bit of development happening in there. Snuck a day away to go check out Discovery Meadow, and honestly? It's actually super nice. Felt like a move Herschend money could definitely pull off. One of the biggest things I've noted before was how alone Storm Chaser felt. Now the entire path between Roller Skater (Hollyhock & Roll) all the way to Wind Chaser is lined with rides, and a ton of shady sitting spots under existing trees. My biggest surprise was seeing the pirate ship put in a perfect spot next to Mile High, so close to the splash but angled perfectly to avoid the wave. Speaking of waves, this heat wave has been pretty intense lately so I didn't stick around too long. I mainly wanted to get my steps in then cool off, so I only did Wind Chaser and Treetop Drop. From what I could see, they reprofiled Woodland Run's first drop and I'm seeing a ton of crazy hairtime from riders in the back seat, so take note of that for anyone else who goes. 4
prozach626 Posted June 21 Posted June 21 Oh wow. Even in just a few pictures you can tell how Herschend has put its touch on the park. They really kind of charmed KK up, I suppose. Are a lot of those signs new? 1
TurnOfTheCentury Posted August 31 Posted August 31 Went for my first time today. What a pleasant surprise in many ways. First, it's bigger than I thought (despite a funky layout, with the cross over the road). Second, the cleanliness and theme/ upkeep efforts were notable. It's a nice looking park, for being regional and small (and formerly bankrupt!). Cool rides, and especially doing a good job for the young ones. Their coasters are very solid: Lightning Run. I will join the chorus of people wondering why no other smaller (or even larger) park has purchased a coaster like this, or others, from Chance. This ride is fantastic. It rides just like an RMC: great pops of air, snappy transitions, reasonably comfortable trains. I found it very re-rideable. Everyone seems to love it? Why aren't other parks snapping these up? Wind Chaser. LOVED it. That first drop is fantastic, and gives you some of the most bizarre airtime coming out of the spiral I have ever experienced. I honestly think it's one of RMC's most "fun" rides - very re-rideable. I feel this one is underrated? My RMC count is: Joker (SFDK), Twisted Colossus, Steel Vengeance, Iron Gwazi, Wicked Cyclone, Iron Rattler, New Texas Giant, Lightning Rod and Goliath. The only thing that I didn't love is RMC's patented bucking bronco finale: I just find those uncomfortable. But everything else was just fantastic. Woodland Run. Was running mostly good (a few potholes, but nothing horrible). I enjoyed it, had some good pops of air, but an odd design ( a fair amount of speed doing nothing, but I enjoyed it). There is promise to this park -- but they really need to clean up their operations. One train ops on everything (which was ok except for lightning run, which had 30 minute wait). But the real issue is PAINFULLY slow and understaffed ride ops. I really remain permanently perplexed why a park like this does not spend the extra $30-$40/hour to have 2 more people checking restrains (they would make it up by spitting people out of line toward concession purchases) and/or have a manager ensuring the staff are actually being efficient with ride ops. 1
prozach626 Posted August 31 Posted August 31 ^It's not just a money issue. Staffing is hard to find. The mystery remains about why more parks don't have Chance Hyper GT-X coasters. The best theory I have heard is price point. Some people broke it down years ago to where the GT-X models are expensive enough to price smaller parks out of the market. Yet, it's cheap enough where mid-larger size parks might spend a little extra for something more exciting. Kentucky Kingdom had everything for the perfect storm (pun intended) to make Lightning Run happen.
TurnOfTheCentury Posted September 1 Posted September 1 Interesting about Chance. Obviously, they priced the market just wrong. I figured they might be significantly cheaper than RMC and Gerst or other "cheaper" competitors, but obviously not enough. Shame. I don't entirely buy the staffing shortage idea, only because Holiday World somehow manages it, and has a much smaller labor pool than downtown Louisville. It has something to do with pay and atmosphere. I know KK can only pay so much, but surely they can find a grand total of 4 more employees (2 more for Lightning Run and 2 more for Wind Chaser (as needed)). 1
prozach626 Posted September 1 Posted September 1 Don't quote me on the cost thing, but I just seem to remember that being a pretty respectable argument when I heard it years ago.
A.J. Posted 6 hours ago Posted 6 hours ago Kentucky Kingdom has announced Flying Fox, a new Vekoma Suspended Family Coaster for 2026! https://www.kentuckykingdom.com/media-room/new-family-roller-coaster-flying-fox/ Kentucky Kingdom is taking family fun to new heights with the debut of its first new roller coaster since 2019, adding to the continued investment in the park. Today, the park officially announced Flying Fox, an all-new family-friendly coaster opening for the 2026 season. This custom coaster will be the park’s 6th rollercoaster, the most in Kentucky. Join the daring adventures of local legend and crop-dusting pilot, Jeb Fox, as Flying Fox sends riders soaring over a vibrant Kentucky farmland setting. Every detail of the attraction has been carefully designed by Herschend’s in-house creative team, known for bringing stories to life in ways that feel both authentic and whimsical. From the red barn-inspired queue to hand painted murals and playful audio featuring Jeb himself, the theming celebrates Kentucky’s agricultural heritage while adding a lighthearted twist aimed for families to enjoy. “At Kentucky Kingdom, our mission is to create memories worth repeating, and the addition of Flying Fox is the next exciting chapter in that journey,” said Sarah Worrell, General Manager of Kentucky Kingdom. “With the debut of Discovery Meadow in 2025, we set a new standard for immersive, family- friendly experiences, and Flying Fox builds on that momentum. This new coaster represents not only our continued investment in the park, but also our commitment to transforming Kentucky Kingdom into a place where families can return year after year and always find something new to discover.”
coastersandhockey Posted 2 hours ago Posted 2 hours ago Man I am loving what Herschend is doing here!
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