Kentucky Kingdom (SFKK, KK) Discussion Thread

[bluestreak]

Storm Chaser should be fine. All the other RMCs are running great except LR now afaik

 

Awesome! Thanks! That's a huge relief

[drummermattk]

Hi guys! I plan on going to the park for the first time next wendsday (7/13) and was wondering on what to hit first, and what some good affordable places to eat would be! Thanks in advance for the advice!

[Midgetman82]

Lightning Run and Cyclos first since they're near the front and get the longest lines (Cyclos the longest). Most food places in the park are just fine (Swampwater Jacks and the new deli stand near Storm Chaser are still my personal favorites), but I wouldn't recommend the food places by the water park as a first choice since they tend to have the longest waits. Storm Chaser gets the shortest waits out of all the major coasters, so you can hit that coaster at your leisure!

 

I might hit the park again soon this week/weekend. Storm Chaser had a fair bit of vibrations in some seats, and I'm hearing they replaced the wheels again so the vibrations are likely gone.

[AdventureJack]

^Triple launch Aquatrax interacting with water rides, has 11 tunnels underneath the water park, dark ride sections with three huge animatronics and single rider lines.

 

 

Is it that obvious?

[Arthur_Seaton]

If one were especially diligent (and traveling solo), is it remotely possible to do both KK and Holiday World in the same day? I'll be visiting the area next month, and because parks have limited hours in the time I'll be visiting, the only feasible way I can see of hitting KK and HW is if I cram them together. Crazy plan or somewhat plausible for someone only planning on riding the coasters at each park? A full day at both seems a bit much, but also cramming two together in one day seems a bit crazy. Thoughts?

[larrygator]

Definitely doable if riding only the coasters and best done on a weekday.

[LiftThrill]

It's definitely possible if you want to do it and can afford it. We opted for a full day at HW instead to get on Wildebeest and Mammoth as well as get some rerides (which ended up costing a ton of time because Voyage broke down), but the hour drive between the two is nothing. We stayed near Louisville at a family friend's house and definitely could have done an hour at KK had we been inclined to do so and had the money.

[Arthur_Seaton]

Perfect, thanks, guys! As much as I'd prefer not to be rushed between the two (I'd rather have a leisurely 3/4 day at both), I'm leaning more toward cramming both in as I don't see a full day at either being that necessary if I'm really just looking at the bigger rides. Only thing is that it may need to be a Saturday as opening days are limited and HW is hosting some religious event on the Sunday and I'd probably want to steer clear of that /hisses at cross/

[ytterbiumanalyst]

While I would strongly recommend against going to either of these parks just for the coasters, if that is your plan, start with KK. It's on Eastern Time while Holiday World is on Central. It's an hour and a half in absolute time, but that's 30 minutes if you're going west and 2.5 hours if you're going east. Since both parks close early, and close the queues even earlier, that's the better plan of attack.

[Arthur_Seaton]

It's on Eastern Time while Holiday World is on Central. It's an hour and a half in absolute time, but that's 30 minutes if you're going west and 2.5 hours if you're going east.

Wow! That's critical info! Thanks!

 

Only problem now is that KK hasn't decided on their operating hours for that week (they wing it, apparently), whereas HW opens at 10am.

[CoasterCard]

It's on Eastern Time while Holiday World is on Central. It's an hour and a half in absolute time, but that's 30 minutes if you're going west and 2.5 hours if you're going east.

Wow! That's critical info! Thanks!

 

Only problem now is that KK hasn't decided on their operating hours for that week (they wing it, apparently), whereas HW opens at 10am.

 

Are you trying to visit and do both during the week of the Kentucky State Fair? I'm no expert on crowds that week because I stay as far away from the Expo Center as possible during that time, but just know KK crowd/traffic levels will definitely be elevated; especially on the weekend during that period.

[Arthur_Seaton]

Are you trying to visit and do both during the week of the Kentucky State Fair? I'm no expert on crowds that week because I stay as far away from the Expo Center as possible during that time, but just know KK crowd/traffic levels will definitely be elevated; especially on the weekend during that period.

Buggers! It looks like the fair is right next door, too. I think I may need to change my travel plans!

[Midgetman82]

Ooh, I'd highly advise against a Saturday during the State Fair if you're trying to do both parks. Crowds can get exceptionally high at Kentucky Kingdom, and it's generally unpleasant when you have to park much further from the park than you should (and for a higher price, iirc).

[FSUFanChris]

Does KK usually close for Louisville football games? We were planning on going to the park in September while we're up there for a game but they will be closed.

[PVA62]

Does KK usually close for Louisville football games? We were planning on going to the park in September while we're up there for a game but they will be closed.

 

They are only open 2 Saturdays in September anyways so you need to check the UofL schedule and KK. But Go Cats

[FSUFanChris]

Does KK usually close for Louisville football games? We were planning on going to the park in September while we're up there for a game but they will be closed.

 

They are only open 2 Saturdays in September anyways so you need to check the UofL schedule and KK. But Go Cats

I guess I should rephrase my question. I checked the KK schedule when FSU's schedule was first released and the park was open. Now they are not. I'm just curious if this is because someone rented the park out or if they just always close during UL big games?

[PVA62]

Does KK usually close for Louisville football games? We were planning on going to the park in September while we're up there for a game but they will be closed.

 

They are only open 2 Saturdays in September anyways so you need to check the UofL schedule and KK. But Go Cats

I guess I should rephrase my question. I checked the KK schedule when FSU's schedule was first released and the park was open. Now they are not. I'm just curious if this is because someone rented the park out or if they just always close during UL big games?

 

It looks like someone bought out those days. I would think they would want the extra traffic if they had games on the same days. But then again their lots aren't that close. I wonder how CGA and the 49er's deal with games and the park on Sunday's, I believe they share a lot.

[bluestreak]

^ CGA is closed on 49ers game days.

[CoasterCard]

Does KK usually close for Louisville football games? We were planning on going to the park in September while we're up there for a game but they will be closed.

 

They are only open 2 Saturdays in September anyways so you need to check the UofL schedule and KK. But Go Cats

I guess I should rephrase my question. I checked the KK schedule when FSU's schedule was first released and the park was open. Now they are not. I'm just curious if this is because someone rented the park out or if they just always close during UL big games?

 

I can't imagine that they would need to be closed during those games. The portion of the parking lot used for tailgating isn't anywhere near the portion used for KK. There are plenty of gates on Crittenden/Preston for tailgaters and the one on Phillips for KK visitors. I think this is just the case of the park being bought out. To be honest, that late in the season, it's probably best for them to justify leaving the park open with a buyout as crowds would probably be tremendously light.

 

Given that the game is at Noon, you would lose the best (least crowded) time to be at the park when it opens Saturday. If you can swing it, try to make it early Sunday, you should be able to take advantage of the out of state discount. Get in and out in a couple of hours, get your money's worth, and be on your way home.

 

Will this be your first time to Louisville? If so, let me know if you need any suggestions for food or other activities.

[FSUFanChris]

Does KK usually close for Louisville football games? We were planning on going to the park in September while we're up there for a game but they will be closed.

 

They are only open 2 Saturdays in September anyways so you need to check the UofL schedule and KK. But Go Cats

I guess I should rephrase my question. I checked the KK schedule when FSU's schedule was first released and the park was open. Now they are not. I'm just curious if this is because someone rented the park out or if they just always close during UL big games?

 

I can't imagine that they would need to be closed during those games. The portion of the parking lot used for tailgating isn't anywhere near the portion used for KK. There are plenty of gates on Crittenden/Preston for tailgaters and the one on Phillips for KK visitors. I think this is just the case of the park being bought out. To be honest, that late in the season, it's probably best for them to justify leaving the park open with a buyout as crowds would probably be tremendously light.

 

Given that the game is at Noon, you would lose the best (least crowded) time to be at the park when it opens Saturday. If you can swing it, try to make it early Sunday, you should be able to take advantage of the out of state discount. Get in and out in a couple of hours, get your money's worth, and be on your way home.

 

Will this be your first time to Louisville? If so, let me know if you need any suggestions for food or other activities.

Thanks for the reply. It will be my first time. I may take you up on that suggestion for recommendations as we get closer. That's the thing... when I checked a few months ago, the park was rented out for Sunday. So I just assumed I would run in there for a few on Saturday, get my credits, and head out. Now the park is rented out BOTH days. Oh, well. Sounds like either Holiday World or Kings Island for me. I haven't been to either park, as well.

[CoasterCard]

Does KK usually close for Louisville football games? We were planning on going to the park in September while we're up there for a game but they will be closed.

 

They are only open 2 Saturdays in September anyways so you need to check the UofL schedule and KK. But Go Cats

I guess I should rephrase my question. I checked the KK schedule when FSU's schedule was first released and the park was open. Now they are not. I'm just curious if this is because someone rented the park out or if they just always close during UL big games?

 

I can't imagine that they would need to be closed during those games. The portion of the parking lot used for tailgating isn't anywhere near the portion used for KK. There are plenty of gates on Crittenden/Preston for tailgaters and the one on Phillips for KK visitors. I think this is just the case of the park being bought out. To be honest, that late in the season, it's probably best for them to justify leaving the park open with a buyout as crowds would probably be tremendously light.

 

Given that the game is at Noon, you would lose the best (least crowded) time to be at the park when it opens Saturday. If you can swing it, try to make it early Sunday, you should be able to take advantage of the out of state discount. Get in and out in a couple of hours, get your money's worth, and be on your way home.

 

Will this be your first time to Louisville? If so, let me know if you need any suggestions for food or other activities.

Now the park is rented out BOTH days.

 

The calendar on KK's website is saying that the park is open on Sunday, Sept. 18, from 11-7. Did you get your information from the park? Might be worth looking into again.

 

Hope you have a good time in Louisville. I've been here for nearly 10 years since starting school at UofL in '07. There's plenty of great food and experiences here. Hopefully you can get out and see a few (one of which being a football game so there's one down haha).

[FSUFanChris]

Now the park is rented out BOTH days.

The calendar on KK's website is saying that the park is open on Sunday, Sept. 18, from 11-7. Did you get your information from the park? Might be worth looking into again.

Hope you have a good time in Louisville. I've been here for nearly 10 years since starting school at UofL in '07. There's plenty of great food and experiences here. Hopefully you can get out and see a few (one of which being a football game so there's one down haha).

Whoa! Either it changed, or I read it wrong (probably the latter).

[SFOGdude25]

Finally got to check out Kentucky Kingdom today for the first time since it reopened. My last visit was 2006 back in the Six Flags days, and I didn't realize just how much changed until I stepped through the gates again. It's basically a brand new park sans the few rides/slides that survived the closure. Even though there was still quite a bit of cracked and faded walkways and some buildings that could use a coat, I was really surprised at how cleaned up the park is now. It's a couple of thrill rides away from being a serious competitor in the Midwest market. I'm interested to see what Ed has in store. Of course the main reason I came was for Storm Chaser and Lightning Run.

 

Lightning Run was freaking awesome! So much airtime packed into such a modest looking roller coaster! I couldn't stop laughing through the whole thing it was such a blast. No joke, one of the best steel coasters I've ever ridden. Smooth and fast-paced with a perfectly-designed sequence of elements from beginning to end. Unfortunately because of my limited time I had a the park I only rode it once, but it's only 3 hours from me so I'll be back for sure. More parks around the country should get these Hyper GT-X's! Rating: 10/10.

 

Thunder Run is a coaster I had done before, but not in several years so I was curious to see how well it rode after reopening. Turns out it runs VERY well! In fact I forgot just how much fun it is! The series of camelbacks after the first drop and turn are some of the best floater air moments on a wood coaster. Overall the ride is nothing super special, but it is a lot of fun. Rating: 7/10

 

I was not exactly looking forward to trying T3 again as I have some bad memories of it as T2, so I was just hoping that I wouldn't be beat up to death. The Kumbak trains are a big improvement over the awful Vekoma seats and restraints, but the bad news is they didn't exactly help. Yes there's no more head banging, but I still took a beating from this thing. The real problem with T3 is the track itself. The transitions are not smooth. At all. Even though they may look smooth, at least compared to your average Arrow coaster, they ride terribly. On top of all this the restraints nearly crushed my thighs. I'm a small guy and the restraint sat right in the middle of my legs, nowhere close to my stomach. You can only polish a turd so much... Rating: 2/10

 

And then there's Storm Chaser. Only my second RMC and first I-Box coaster. Holy crap this thing was great. Very similar to Lightning Run in a lot of ways. Lots of strong airtime (that first hill was heavenly) and super quick pacing through the whole thing. Ironically the least forceful part is the barrel roll drop, arguably the ride's one stand-out feature, but I digress. This ride proves how much RMC can do with such a small footprint to work with. It also amazed me how ridiculously smooth this thing was. No rattle, no vibration, nothing of the sort. Just rock-solid smooth track that rode better than many B&Ms lol. To be honest though, I think I prefer Lightning Run JUST a little more only because I love its layout so much, and Storm Chaser has some awkward bits toward the end, but both are excellent coasters. Rating: 9/10

 

I also did the water park for a couple of hours and was very impressed with how much was added. Lots of good slides, pools, rivers etc. Not quite Splashin Safari, but still pretty darn good. Plus there's Deep Water Dive. I'm not lying one bit when I say that contraption is scarier than any roller coaster I've ever ridden. Having a trap door that high up is just wrong. Absolutely nuts, but I did it. I couldn't not do it LOL.

 

I like how this park is turning out. There are times that I miss having a large-scale coaster that that park once had in Chang, but I still had a lot of fun.

[grsupercity]

I did a KK write up a couple weeks ago and also rated LR slightly ahead of SC. Both fun rides tho and glad u had a couple fun hours there!

[Mrlittle]

Not sure if it was the right part of the hot day or if we weren't that excited about it to begin with but Storm Chaser was holy crap fun. It was filled with airtime. Its so hard to even rank RMC coasters anymore because there all so good.