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Kentucky Kingdom (SFKK, KK) Discussion Thread


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I've heard that about the airport many times. A way to get around it is to build to 180 or so and then tunnel underground (or exploit a terrain feature), or they could just build an honorary hyper like Goliath at La Ronde.

 

Nothing says it would have to be B&M. While we're fantasizing, how about the third Intamin hyper wing?

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We made our first trip to the park a few days ago. I have a full trip report on the way but I wanted to share some quick thoughts while they're fresh in my mind.

 

- What the actual f*ck is going on with that parking lot? There were some events going on and it took us forever to figure out where we were going. We were directed to some convention center thing by a parking attendant where I'm pretty sure there was a graduation going on after paying to park and we had to basically just go in, then come out of that lot later when he couldn't see us and keep attempting to find Kentucky Kingdom. I get that they share a parking lot and toll booth with other things, it's a clever system, Hershey does it too but they're organized when they do it. This is a clusterf*ck.

 

- We were really impressed with the park itself. Everything looked to be well maintained and freshly painted and it had a really nice vibe to it. The place looked brand new, you would never know it was sitting abandoned for years.

 

- Lightning Run was a great ride but I think it's a little overhyped. We rode up front and thought it was a nice little coaster but the fact that so many people prefer it to Storm Chaser is nuts to me. Lay off the drugs. Still, despite the fact that the restraints are really stupid and the ride ops were abysmal we enjoyed it.

 

- Thunder Run was fun! We had a short wait as the train before us decided to go full Gatekeeper mode and go on a bird murdering tirade so we had to wait for maintenance to show up and grab the poor thing out of the train. I assumed that they would use rubber gloves or tongs but it's Kentucky and they don't have time for that type of sh*t so they just picked the f*cker up with their bare hands and threw it in the trash. Poor bird.

 

- Storm Chaser... god damn. This thing is absolutely bonkers. The barrel rolling first drop is un-f*cking believable and everything following it is nuts. I expected this to be a step down from the other, larger Iron Horse conversion I've ridden (Wicked Cyclone) but it was just as, if not even more insane. WOW!!!!

 

- T3 was Brit's favorite ride in the park for some reason but I think it should be loaded on a rocket and launched into the sun.

 

We didn't have time for any non coaster rides but we did get a re-ride on Storm Chaser and we got a ride on Roller Skater too (which was fun... we didn't plan on riding it as we thought it was a kids coaster but after seeing it in person it's a perfectly respectable little ride and a ton of adults were riding so we hopped on). Overall I REALLY liked this place. Full report to come... eventually.

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Glad to hear you had a good time, Bill.

 

Nothing says it would have to be B&M. While we're fantasizing, how about the third Intamin hyper wing?

I think you are definitely fantasizing. It would be nice to see chance take a swing at the hyper, after the reviews of Lightning Run.

 

Going to the park for the first time this Saturday morning from about 10-2. Hoping for light crowds.

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I think we are overthinking it. Hypers are expensive - and park already has two airtime machines. It needs to balance out a collection of rides to attract families, not just coaster nerds. If you listen to clips from the offseason event Ed hints at family piece being important.

 

I think something like a White Lightning/Mine Blower one year, a CP Huntington train ride another year, and maybe the new Mack water coaster or solid dark ride.

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^By the new Mack water coaster, do you mean the "power splash" that they built in Belgium, Pulsar?

 

I think you are definitely fantasizing.
I certainly am! I don't think any of this hypercoaster business is likely. I like the suggestion about a small wood coaster like either of those two around Orlando.
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Wouldn't the nearby airport interfere with adding a hyper?

There's a few places they could put one, but it would virtually necessitate a whole new area of the park (not entirely a bad thing IMO), and it's questionable as to whether they even have access to the land necessary to build one. Is it doable? Yes. Would it shock me if it were to actually happen? Also yes. While I think a T-Rex (NOT a Raptor) tracked coaster may be in the park's future, I do think that the talks and speculation of a Hyper are mostly coming from people who don't understand just how genuinely hemmed in that park really is.

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I think we are overthinking it. Hypers are expensive - and park already has two airtime machines. It needs to balance out a collection of rides to attract families, not just coaster nerds. If you listen to clips from the offseason event Ed hints at family piece being important.

 

I think something like a White Lightning/Mine Blower one year, a CP Huntington train ride another year, and maybe the new Mack water coaster or solid dark ride.

 

No. A new coaster has directly been hinted at during a presentation representing the park as well as Ed Hart himself has said in the past that he wants a new B&M coaster AND as recently as Storm Chaser's opening has mentioned that he's already talking to RMC about a new coaster. To me, this adds up to a T-Rex tracked coaster. A new coaster is coming. It's all but confirmed. At this point, the speculation is to what kind.

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No. A new coaster has directly been hinted at during a presentation representing the park as well as Ed Hart himself has said in the past that he wants a new B&M coaster AND as recently as Storm Chaser's opening has mentioned that he's already talking to RMC about a new coaster. To me, this adds up to a T-Rex tracked coaster. A new coaster is coming. It's all but confirmed. At this point, the speculation is to what kind.

 

Agree completely a new coaster is coming, I'm just saying if people are thinking it is a hyper like Diamondback or Mako they are going to be disappointed.

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No. A new coaster has directly been hinted at during a presentation representing the park as well as Ed Hart himself has said in the past that he wants a new B&M coaster AND as recently as Storm Chaser's opening has mentioned that he's already talking to RMC about a new coaster. To me, this adds up to a T-Rex tracked coaster. A new coaster is coming. It's all but confirmed. At this point, the speculation is to what kind.

 

Agree completely a new coaster is coming, I'm just saying if people are thinking it is a hyper like Diamondback or Mako they are going to be disappointed.

 

Maybe, it's hard to say honestly. If you take everything Ed Hart himself has personally said and expressed in the past....it's not hard to see why people are coming to that conclusion. Keep in mind, he tried like hell to get the SBNO "Time Machine" coaster from the Hard Rock Park to Kentucky Kingdom before being outbid for it and having to, more or less, "settle" for Lightning Run. Hart thinks big, and you need only look at Chang as proof of this. Chang was his last signature addition to the park before selling to Six Flags. Whoever, at the time, would dream that selling to Six Flags would turn out to be such a disaster? Anyhow: He's openly expressed interest in a B&M or B&M style coaster. He's mentioned talking to RMC about another coaster. Adding two and two together would lead one to think at least an RMC T-Rex tracked coaster if not a B&M of some form. Will it be a hyper coaster? I'm skeptical of that, personally...but I'm willing to bet whatever new coaster is announced will be more akin to Chang than Roller Skater or Thunder Run.

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From an aerial perspective, the park's tallest coasters are between the flight paths of the airport runways. They could fit something tall-ish/hyper-ish there. How tall? Who knows. The park's already in possession of a 150ft big wheel, 130ft star flyer, 129ft drop tower, and 121ft freefall water slide within those boundaries.

 

- Storm Chaser... god damn. This thing is absolutely bonkers. The barrel rolling first drop is un-f*cking believable and everything following it is nuts. I expected this to be a step down from the other, larger Iron Horse conversion I've ridden (Wicked Cyclone) but it was just as, if not even more insane. WOW!!!!

I can say, with full confidence, Storm chaser is even faster this year than it was last. I'm not sure how, but the second-half of the coaster is noticeably faster and more intense than I remember it being, and it actually flies hard into the brake run. Glad to hear you enjoyed the park overall. It genuinely gets slightly better every year.

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From an aerial perspective, the park's tallest coasters are between the flight paths of the airport runways. They could fit something tall-ish/hyper-ish there. How tall? Who knows. The park's already in possession of a 150ft big wheel, 130ft star flyer, 129ft drop tower, and 121ft freefall water slide within those boundaries.

 

- Storm Chaser... god damn. This thing is absolutely bonkers. The barrel rolling first drop is un-f*cking believable and everything following it is nuts. I expected this to be a step down from the other, larger Iron Horse conversion I've ridden (Wicked Cyclone) but it was just as, if not even more insane. WOW!!!!

I can say, with full confidence, Storm chaser is even faster this year than it was last. I'm not sure how, but the second-half of the coaster is noticeably faster and more intense than I remember it being, and it actually flies hard into the brake run. Glad to hear you enjoyed the park overall. It genuinely gets slightly better every year.

 

Thunder Run's the best it's ever been, as well. If they'd add a tunnel to one of those back, sweeping turns, I'd be all set!

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T3 was Brit's favorite ride in the park for some reason but I think it should be loaded on a rocket and launched into the sun.

 

Wait... WHAT??? Also: at first I read this as you think *she* should be loaded on a rocket and launched in the sun, but then I re-read it... lol -- With that opinion, is the deposit on YOUR wedding venue refundable? :-P

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Was talking to an employee, who has worked at the Park since 1987. I asked about the announcement and he said it would have to come by the end of June, because it would be obvious. Take that for what you will.

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T3 was Brit's favorite ride in the park for some reason but I think it should be loaded on a rocket and launched into the sun.

 

Wait... WHAT??? Also: at first I read this as you think *she* should be loaded on a rocket and launched in the sun, but then I re-read it... lol -- With that opinion, is the deposit on YOUR wedding venue refundable? :-P

 

And yeah, I don't get it at all. Maybe she liked the stupid f*cking clicky things on the restraints? I don't know

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Well, as much as I didn't want to ride it, I shall now take my first ever ride on T3 later this week since i now know it's the best ride in the park! And probably the entire region! In fact, maybe I will skip Holiday World and just ride T3 over and over and over instead!

 

(Fun Fact: when I was a kid I rode Mind Eraser at Darien Lake 26 times in a row. It's the only time I've ever puked from riding coasters. It also probably explains why I've only been to Darien Lake twice in the past 15 years despite living less than 30 min away since I've been SLC traumatized. Maybe I should relive that childhood memory at Kentucky Kingdom. Maybe It will reverse the spell and make me want to visit Darien Lake and ride SLC's again? *shrug*)

 

But seriously, I'm kind of excited to ride an SLC again despite everyone saying the new restraints don't do anything for that ride. I guess we will see...

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- Lightning Run was a great ride but I think it's a little overhyped. We rode up front and thought it was a nice little coaster but the fact that so many people prefer it to Storm Chaser is nuts to me. Lay off the drugs. Still, despite the fact that the restraints are really stupid and the ride ops were abysmal we enjoyed it.

 

 

This is how I feel 100%! I respect the heck out of Lightning Run, and that Chance model in general. Heck, one of those at MiA would be a perfect fit, and a great addition! It's super fun! But the way some people rave about it... And better than Storm Chaser??? Drugs indeed!

 

- Storm Chaser... god damn. This thing is absolutely bonkers. The barrel rolling first drop is un-f*cking believable and everything following it is nuts. I expected this to be a step down from the other, larger Iron Horse conversion I've ridden (Wicked Cyclone) but it was just as, if not even more insane. WOW!!!!

 

 

Storm Chaser is truly a mind blowing experience! I think it's still one of the only coasters (if not the only one) where I literally (proper usage of the word) kept saying "WOW!" involuntarily throughout the duration of the entire ride! I still preferred Lightning Rod in the end for the grandiosity of it, but not by much... SC just does so much, and packs it into such a small and compact ride experience, making it seem all the more intense. Such a great little coaster!

 

- T3 was Brit's favorite ride in the park for some reason but I think it should be loaded on a rocket and launched into the sun.

 

I'm fairly certain even the sun would launch it back with a return to sender stamp... Such a steaming pile of horse manure!

 

We didn't have time for any non coaster rides but we did get a re-ride on Storm Chaser and we got a ride on Roller Skater too (which was fun... we didn't plan on riding it as we thought it was a kids coaster but after seeing it in person it's a perfectly respectable little ride and a ton of adults were riding so we hopped on). Overall I REALLY liked this place. Full report to come... eventually.

 

Roller Skater IS quite fun! Glad you didn't take a pass on that one! Definitely better than your average "kiddie coaster"! Glad you had such a good time at KK! I am definitely looking forward to returning there before too long, hopefully next year when I go to Holiday World again!

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Nah don't be excited, its f*cking terrible.

 

I really, really, really do not understand all the hate T3 gets. I rode it May of last year and quite enjoyed it, especially compared to Mind Eraser at SFNE before they got the new trains.

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Nah don't be excited, its f*cking terrible.

 

I really, really, really do not understand all the hate T3 gets. I rode it May of last year and quite enjoyed it, especially compared to Mind Eraser at SFNE before they got the new trains.

 

Honestly, I don't either. It's worlds better with the new train and restraint system. Lol now back in the OLD days...........

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Was talking to an employee, who has worked at the Park since 1987. I asked about the announcement and he said it would have to come by the end of June, because it would be obvious. Take that for what you will.

 

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If KK is in fact getting a new roller coaster, I'm really curious to know what it will be. They have a wooden coaster, a junior coaster, an inverted looping coaster, and two intense air time machines, one of which doubles as a Looper. For some reason, my first thought went to GCI, but stuck in the middle of HW World and KI, I don't even know what I was thinking. My best guess is that we'll see something with a launch. A hyper would help round out the package, but as others have said I don't think it's going to happen. The only really unique variable I can see missing from their line-up which HW or KI doesn't offer is a Flyer. My gut (and my hopes) tell me no.

 

Just judging by what others have said, since my first visit is still a few days away, I really hope that the park will take a break from coasters after their next installation. A decent dark ride would be nice. Keep it simple, fun, and cheap. A transport ride or a log flume would also be nice. Either way, this park looks really appealing to me and I can't wait until Saturday. I really wish we were spending more than four hours at the park.

 

On another note, a deer kamikaze'd the shit out of our Subaru Crosstrek last weekend. It's our road trip car since it drives great, it has plenty of cargo room, it gets good gas mileage, it's super comfortable, and we have satellite radio on it. We have developed a taste for Howard Stern over the last couple years. He's vulgar, for for some reason we find his shows really entertaining. Unfortunately, we'll be making the four hour drive to Louisville in our STi (race carrrrr), which is loud, stiff, doesn't have as much cargo room, and it chugs gasoline. The car is a blast to drive around town, but we're going to be ready for a strong cocktail by the time we get to our Hyatt Regency. First world problems.

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