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I visited Kentucky Kingdom for the first time this year and in total three times this year and it is one great park. I truly loved the place. Its such an oddly quirky place that feels all great and awesome. Has a nice theme park and a great waterpark and a park that if I am doing both parks that I may run out of time before the end of the day trying to ride everything. Ed Hart has done some great things with this place and I cant wait to come back. Here are some pictures I took on 7/5, 7/23 and 8/7/2017

Coasterstock 2018 was just confirmed by Don Helbig via an interview he had on YouTube (Coaster Nation): He talks a bit about it at 3:00 mark in the video. I'm excited, and hopefully there will be some new things added this year. He did mention they want to add some more behind the scenes tours for next year.

As I am an associate, I'm curious if anyone on KIC has been to the Great Pumpkin Fest this fall. What are your thoughts on it? Any concerns? PS. If you want to say hi, I'll be the the dork in the Raggedy Ann costume, I only work on Sundays.

If only I got a dollar each time I heard someone call Lake Erie ¨The ocean¨...

I heard sign shop. I’m excited. Can’t wait!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@electricsun and I took my kids this past Sunday and had they had a blast. $1.00 games and pony rides are great value. This pic was from the week before.

I don't think asking $1 for a pony ride is too expensive since a lot of festivals and events ask usually more. I think it's worth checking out even if you don't want to pay extra for anything since they do have trick or treating, little mazes for the kids they have free games like bingo and such and they have a coloring station too. You get a free mini pumpkin and there is the foam pit and an area where you can ride a tractor bike around. The only things that are extra are games and the pony rides and I don't think there is a game over $2 there.

We have been and my daughter has gotten candy from you! Lol overall, I love it. I wish they would give out a little more trick or treating wise but it's great. My daughter's favorite is the foam pit. She was sad that it wasn't open last Sunday because of the wind. I love that you can play games for only $1-$2. I love that the pony rides are only $1 too! It's super affordable. My daughter also was super excited to see Snoopy and get a pumpkin. I love the event and very glad they have it for the kids.

Just a wild card thought, could KI be getting the Rotor from WoF as part of a ride relocation?

@Ellie I cannot agree with you more. I love the Justice League rides and they are way too much fun! I'd also love a tilt a whirl. They're one of my absolute favorite flat rides.

Now that is an unpopular opinion if I've ever heard of one.

We actually decided not to go because a season pass holder told us it wasn’t worth it. The one piece of candy per child was one of his reasons. Also, the fact that you pay so much money to get into the park and still have to pay extra for pony rides. Next year will be our first as pass holders. We used our free visits this year for Haunt and will be using my daughter’s (and paying the lesser price for us) for Winterfest. We’ll probably try out Great Punpkin Fest next year when we have our passes and won’t be out the parking price.

Glad to hear that you’ve had a good experience! It’s interesting to hear a different perspective. As for the trick or treating, we have plenty of candy, but we are told to give out 1 per person and not to take any for ourselves. I agree, the trinkets like fangs and sticky frogs aren’t that cool, but I guess it’s to hold some kids over, so they aren’t eating the candy all at once, or for those with allergies. Overall, the event is a lot of fun to work though. Thanks for the input!

I've heard that Matt Ouimet isn't for doing ride relocations. There's a few Rotor rides available for sale if they wanted to buy one.

^^ So you mean yourself? Wow.....

The guests who cite this.

I believe Sam actually said that puberty sucks but there was a girl behind me kind of freaking out a bit. I get flight or fight responses. That just happens. That’s not what I witnessed. Guessing teen boys to early 20’s with buddies thinking it’s funny to smack, touch or shove the actors. Common decency should tell them to keep their hands to themselves. It appeared security took it seriously which made me a little happier, but I still felt bad for the scare actor.

Chapter 3- The Walt Disney World Railroad At the beginning of the 20th century, one man began his to follow his dreams and went on to build a legacy that would continue for nearly over a century. Like most boys Walter Elias Disney grew up with a passion for trains. This passion however would stick with him for the rest of his life and lead him to success and prosperity. If Walt Disney never had an interest in trains, the world would never be the same. History The earliest beginnings of the Walt Disney World Railroad predates back to the mid 20th century even before the creation of Disneyland. After a visit to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan, Walt Disney's love of steam trains sparked again. Taking inspiration from the Henry Ford Museum, Disney wanted to replicate the park in his own image in California. Like Greenfield Village, Disneyland would feature old buildings, live shows, a large steam boat, and of course a steam train circling the park. The Disneyland Railroad opened in 1955 featuring two inhouse 36" (narrow gauge) locomotives. The ride circled the park proving to be a popular attraction among park guests. Naturally when the idea was made to add a larger, more elaborate park in Florida one of the first things Walt wanted was a steam train circuling the park. Unfortunatly, Walt died in 1966 as a result of cancer. Determined to finish what he started, longtime business partner and older brother Roy Oswald Disney oversaw the building and completion of the Magic Kingdom. Seeking the help from Walt's old friend, Roger Broggie, they sought out to build a railroad that Walt would have been proud of. It was hard work to find operational narrow gauge locomotives as diesel power has taken over resulting in the scrapping of most steam locomotives. Their luck would soon change however when a railroad photographer who was visiting Yucatan discovered five locomotives ready to be scrapped. Broggie bought the five locomotives and had them shipped to Florida to be restored. Seeking the assistance from George Britton, an old steam ship operator, the locomotives were given new life in a Tampa freight shop. Four out of the five locomotives, which were built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, were able to be fully restored where the fifth one was deemed too in poor condition to operate and was used as a donor for the other four locomotives and was sold for scrap. The locomotives received an overhaul and a downgrade. To replicate the look of an early styled locomotive, the boilers had to be reduced significantly in size which reduced their pressure and power. The original wood cabs were replaced with fiberglass. Fitted with larger smoke stacks, larger domes, smaller boilers and large cowcatchers, these locomotives resembled the traditional steam locomotives that built America. The tenders were built from frame up as well as the coaches. The locomotives were converted to burn diesel fuel as opposed to coal Locomotives The Walt Disney Railroad operates four authentic steam locomotives and were all named after someone who contributed to the building of the Magic Kingdom The # 1 Walter E. Disney The #1 engine was named after Walt Disney himself. The tallest of the four locomotives, the Walter E. Disney has four pilot wheels and six driving wheels which makes is a "Ten wheeler". The locomotive usually pulls the 100 series red coaches. The Walter E. Disney is currently undergoing an overhaul in Strasburg. The #1 was built in 1925 along with the #3 locomotive. The #2 Lilly Belle The #2 engine was named in honor of Walter's wife Lillian Disney. Lilly was a huge supporter of her husband's dreams even allowing him to build a miniature railroad in their backyard in California. The youngest of the four, the Lilly Belle was built in 1928 which was notably the same year Micky and Minnie mouse were created. One of the few "Mogul" style locomotives, the engine has 2 pilot wheels and six driving wheels. One of the three locomotives to be ready on opening day, the Lilly Belle has seen her fair share of issues. For a long time the locomotive rarely saw action only being used for the park's opening ceremonies and some regular day operations. The locomotive was shipped to Strasburg where it received a major overhaul and returned to service in 2016. The locomotive usually pulls the 200 series green coaches. The #3 Roger Broggie The twin of the #1, it was intended to be named in Roy's honor and given the #2. Roy however declined stating that he didn't want to be compared to all the great achievements his younger brother had made. It was decided that the engine would be given the #3 and named in honor of Roger Broggie- the man responsible for the creation of the railroad. Roger was very opinionated on his locomotive showing distaste for the sound of the bell it had. It was later fitted with a bell from an old steam ship. The locomotive, like the Walter E. Disney, is a 4-6-0 "Ten wheeler" which pulls the yellow 300 series coaches. Like the #1, this locomotive was built in 1925. The #4 Roy O. Disney The oldest of the four locomotives, the #4 Roy O. Disney was built in 1916 making it over 100 years old. It was the last locomotive however to be completed due to extensive frame work. After Roy died, the locomotive was named in his honor. Initially Roger Broggie showed skepticism for this locomotive being able to conquer the 2% grade the line had, however George Britton and Roy had confidence that it could tackle the grade and has been doing it ever since 1971. The locomotive is a 4-4-0 "American" style engine which was what a majority of early locomotives in America where built as. The locomotive pulls the 400 series blue coaches. The #5 The only locomotive of the original five to not be built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, this engine was scrapped from being deemed too poor to operate. The locomotive would have been the oldest of the locomotives to operate had it not been scrapped. Also it would have been the second 2-6-0 "Mogul" type locomotive. The park intended to have five locomotives and built five bays to accommodate all five locomotives. There is very little information on this locomotive other than what I stated above. I've hear many different stories. One story states that the locomotive was found at a park not too far from the other four and bought on the spot. Another said that it didn't even go to Florida and was stored in California. It was rumored to be named the "Ward Kimball" after Walt's old friend who shared his passion for locomotives. Ride Experience The railroad features three stations along its mile and a half stretch of track. The first and orignally built station is the Mainstreet station themed to an old Victorian station in New York. In 1972 a second station was added in Frontierland. The station would stay there until the mid 90's until is was demolished and rerouted to make room for Splash Mountain. At the time of construction the railroad only operated one locomotive that went in reverse to Mickey's Toontown Fair. In the late 80's a third station was added for a new section dedicated to Mickey's Birthday. Appropriatly named Birthdayland, the station was later remained Starland, Duckberg Station, and then Toontown Fair. The station received a major rebrand in 2012 where it was themed to the newly renovated Fantasyland. Throughout the ride, an audio recording of an old conductor narrates the whole ride. Operations Each morning a crew comes in to light the locomotives and bring them to full pressure to ensure they can operate for the day. After that, they are shut off and wait for the engineers to arrive. Following a checklist, the locomotives are light and brought up to pressure. The conductor walks the train and checks the couplings and the spiel system. There is a man below the tracks checking the brakes on the coaches. The conductor sets the points so that their train leaves. The train slowly starts to exit the roundhouse following cues from the conductor until the whole train is out of the building. There are two safety tests that have to be done before the train enters the park. The first test is the safety valve test; this is where the locomotive goes over psi capacity which pops the safety valve releasing excess steam. The second test is where the engineer purposely takes the train past a red signal. Each locomotive is equipped with a fail-safe mechanism that breaks the train automatically if it runs past a red signal. Once those two tests are passed, the locomotive can officially operate. The first train has to be at the Mainstreet station by 9:00 am to keep on schedule. A lap should be completed around 20 minutes so the first train should arrive back at Mainstreet at the :20, :40, and :00 of every hour. The second train has to keep up with the first or drop back a lap to keep up with schedule. This done so passengers don't have to wait long at any of the stations. A third train is added to the rotation on busy days. Instead of using radio, the engineers and conductors rely on a series of block signals that tell them when they can depart and where the other locomotives are in the park. When the train arrives in the station, there loading and unloading process begins. Passengers are unloaded and quickly loaded onto the train. The engineer will pay attention to the signal while the train is loading. Once they see that the signal is green, they will give two short "toots" of the whistle to let the conductor know they are ready to go. The station attendant on the platform yells "BOARD" to signal to the conductor that the platform is secure. The conductor then yells the famous "ALL ABOARD" and signals to the engineer with his hand and a buzzer. The buzzer is essentially a toggle switch that connects to a horn in the cab. When the conductor is ready, he'll respond to the engineer with two switches of the buzzer and a hand signal. If the conductor doesn't flip and buzzer or give the hand signal, the train is not allowed to leave. The train needs a buzzer and a visual signal from the conductor in order to be able to leave the station. If there is an issue while the train is in motion the conductor will flip up the switch immediately activating the buzzer in the cab. The engineer immediately stops the train as soon as he or she hears the buzzer, no questions asked. At the end of the day, the train makes a final stop at the Fantasyland Station. After the train is fully unloaded, the line is switched to the spur line. The conductor gives three short flips on the switch and a reverse signal and the engineer responds back with 3 short "toots". Every time a coach successfully passes the crossing, the conductor will flip the switch to communicate that with the engineer who will in turn reply back. There are a series of whistle signals that the engineers use on the train. Two shorts- Forward motion Three shorts- Reverse motion Two longs, a short, and a long- crossing One long and one short- approaching a station One long and two shorts- a greeting to another train and to crew spotted along the track One long- emergency stop There is also a special whistle signal given between a train and the Liberty Belle riverboat.

I completely understand your gripe. I can only speak for the house I work in, but unfortunately with the way the house is set up it's impossible for us in the skeleton key to know when a group is entering from the main line, and vice versa, they can't tell when we're sending a group in from skeleton key. If the scareactors are good, they can get multiple scares in large groups. It's all about resetting quickly. Most houses purposefully have twisty layouts so there is time to get the beginning, middle and end of large groups. I've done it plenty of times myself. Thanks for liking Slaughterhouse! Sam's the one in the skeleton key with the white coat, white butcher hat and red & yellow eyes. He does most of the talking in the Skeleton Key room most of the time, but sometimes he lets his brother Billy take over. Talking so much does take its toll on his voice. Sory i got 2 cut in heer! Thanx 4 lyking slawtrhowse lyk gatr sed. Saterday my voys wuz ruff n krakin. Win that hapns i mayk a jok n say "pubirtie sux!" U myt hav bin in 1 ov thos groops wear i mayd that jok. - Sam Sorry about that. Sam got loose for a minute. I thought I had him safely locked away until Friday but when he senses that he's being discussed, he gets active. Also, thanks for your concern about our safety. Unfortunately it does happen from time to time. I've been hit a few times myself in my 10 years working Haunt. Sometimes it's a guest's fight or flight response kicking in, you can tell when it's that and that's no problem. But it's those that purposefully hit that are the problem, and luckily Security & management takes that very seriously!

http://www.zamperla.com/products/endeavour/ http://www.zamperla.com/products/air-race-8-2-tm/ I think one of these would look great on the Flight Commander Pad

Going up the hill on The Racer, someone in another seat says. "This thing is much smoother than Mystic Timbers." I guess for them it could be true, but thought it was worth posting.

Please! Bring it back!

Overheard after a rope drop while heading in: "This place was so much different when it opened and Universal ran it"

When I was at a pizza place a few days ago I overheard somebody talking about how they saw The Bat's train come off the track and all the people on it died. And then they said that people also died in The Beast a lot because it's so rough.

Agreed and agreed. I'd love to see another Top Spin at KI as well as a Zamperla Hawk 48, Jump2, and maybe even an S&S Sky Swat (if they even make those anymore...). The flats we have now are great (looking at you, Delirium, Drop Tower and Zephyr!), but the above flats at KI would be amazing!

Bumping the thread. Have you ever noticed that KI has a ridiculous amount of in-park space that they can use to add a new ride without really taking an existing attraction out? Crypt building and behind Tower Gardens Space surrounding BLSC Space behind International Showplace Flight Commander spot Space between Racer, FOF and Adventure Express