Leaderboard

I made my trek to KK yesterday. It was a very short one, a friend wanted to go and let's just say there were many delays, like the loss of the Kroger voucher. My impressions: 1. Very nice grounds. My former career was in the landscape industry, so I pay close attention. There were a few areas that need attention, lke bedding areas with prickly lettuce and nutsedge weeds. However, the labeling of plant specimens was really a nice bonus. And the landscaping--can't believe it looks so great after the park was left to decay for several years. 2. Very nice staff. As mentioned, my friend left her Kroger voucher at home, about 2.5 hours away. Her daughter took a picture and sent it, and the staff were able to scan it with no problems. And they had no hassles with that. 3. Thunder Run. Oh.My.Gosh. Smoothest wooden coaster I have ever experienced. 4. Lines moved well, even though only one train were on the coasters. 5. "Security" present everywhere, unlike the gangland of SFKK 6. Good food prices, but only had soft drinks because of arrival time 7. Rides seemed well maintained, in spit of weekly checks 8. Some attention to detail with paint, landscaping andsignage could enhance the experience. In fairness, KI could do the same with paint on The Racer, Eiffel Tower, etc. 9. The carousel needs a deep scrubbing. Looks like the years of closure did a number with mildew. But it ran well. 10. The park has a confusing layout; but maybe that is because I'm not familiar with it.new 11. The new flats look fun and are an appropriate scale for the park. 12. Why load a Ferris Wheel with only 4 tubs? 13. They close the lines before the park closes, so I was not able to ride Lightning Run. This is unfortnate, especially since they close early in the day. It was a crowded day, but everything was managed well it seemed. As a taxpayer, I hope for crowded days so that the park will operate and pay the loans and not have to end in disaster, as Terp has explained the collateral issue. Also, with people in the park and spending money, it creates sales tax and income tax from employees. So hopefully the cycle continues and revenues will support further debt repayment and investment into the park.

Uh, no. Kennywood had Kumbak redo the controls. Morgan modified the trains. Given Sea Viper in Australia had perhaps the most prominent version of the SLC trains from Kumbak, one must wonder. It closed. Permanently. Last summer. Wonder where the trains...

I'd personally hope for the omnimover to be removed. Maybe, just maybe, you could float a few boats in there? On a whim, theme it to Peanuts characters. A good soundtrack would carry you through a year of peanuts life. Kites flying for spring, baseball for summer, football for fall, and sledding for winter. A dark ride doesn't HAVE to be scary. IE: Enchanted Voyage

I ended this event tired, very tired. And very glad I chose it. I threw years of tradition to the wind, and it came down sunshine.

I like this wifi! I can sit here in Starbucks, watching Weather.gov in one window, and KIC in the other as I wait for the rain to subside... and it will... except for about 300 or so who dare the waters of WWC later. Mwa ha ha ha ha h- Oh...

Or maybe Ed Hart just didn't know what he was talking about. Which, if true, is profoundly disturbing.

I don't know if something has changed regarding inspections or if this was in addition to the daily ones. Both maintenance personnel and ride operators must go through an opening checklists before allowing guest on the ride each day. Maintenance did in fact, at least last year, walk the tracks and do checks every day before opening. Maybe the weekly checks is something in addition to those checks. At least I hope.

MDMC01 and I got a pic with most of the cast at the end of the show:

I finally scanned in the photos I won for the Twitter contest. I know a lot of the others at Coasterstock were really excited to see them, which was why I set up an impromptu photo shoot for some other fans on the pavement near the front gates right after I got the envelope I think I nearly gave Don a heart attack by laying them out on the ground because he came over and asked if I was enjoying my very rare photographs?! I was just in a very sharing mood after spending the weekend sharing all my experiences through Twitter. Anyway, this is a better (safer) way to see them. Since they're big, I don't want to post them in the thread, but you can get to them in this directory: http://crowchet.com/images/ki/ While the Phantom Theater picture and logo are very special to me (I really miss that ride!), I think my favorite of the bunch is Screamin' Demon with snow on the ground, before it even opened. That's one I only wish I could have ridden, it was removed long before I got into coasters.

I'll have to go to the park on the way to Holiday World this year!

Thanks for the encouragement After the first half-day or so, I got so involved with enjoying myself and documenting my own experiences, I couldn't really keep up with what anyone else was doing. At the end, I just knew I had done everything I could* and hoped for the best. At the time, I couldn't help but feel if I had managed to garner the elusive @KingsIslandPR retweet like @kittenpooh did the first day, and gained that exposure, that I might have come out on top. But, I've finally gone and read what she was posting, and I will admit that by and large her tweets are more interesting and better written than mine were on average. I was too excited about the Twitter part of the contest to be paying attention to the Instagram one given first. Who won that? I only remember it was a guy, and someone mentioned all three of us winners were Coaster Crew members. * well, I could have stayed past 8 Saturday and continued tweeting, but I really needed the little sleep I got, and I could have focused more on tweeting and less on spending time with friends the last few hours Sunday but I don't regret that, either. It's been a long time since I laughed so much!

To IrealizedIdon'thavethemoneytopayforthisland. Lol

The quarters rolled in, and the people soaked, and they smiled! Ah, good times! -Tb's first-ever post from the Train!

It's been perfect so far. We've been here for about an hour and a half and have already been on Banshee, The Bat, Invertigo, Delirium, Adventure Express, and The Racer. It hasn't rained since about 10:45.

Will T3 maintain 1 train operations or does it have 2 trains?

The state land is collateral for Hart & Co.'s loan from The Bank of Kentucky. Also, rides and fixtures owned by the state are also collateral. If the park fails, to the extent that loan is not otherwise paid, the taxpayers lose state assets. In addition, the property is clearly leased to a private operator for less than its fair market value at its highest and best use. This is in essence a direct subsidy. If I let you use a new Cadillac for $200 a year, the IRS would say, depending on our relationship, you either got a gift or income. Foregone income can be a business choice--are the people of the state better served by Kentucky Kingdom than what the private sector would put there absent government subsidy? But, should a Democratic governor and his pals make that decision without legislative or the people's input? If we get to November without this becoming a political issue, I will be stunned. Especially if the 2015 Kentucky State Fair is not a raging success.

I watched the #Coasterstock trend very closely. As someone who does social media professionally, I kind of knew who was going to win. In fact, I accurately predicted all 3. You did great!! I couldn't be there for all of the events, so I really felt like I could follow along via the Tweets. Good work!!

Four times? Perhaps a record...

The associates out in front of the facility said they're doing some kind of maintenance. There are "No Show Today" signs up in each of the poster marquees.

Uh, what? What do you mean, "Festhaus is closed"? What happened?

Through the seasons is a great concept. Especially because the Peanuts have done something noteworthy in most every season at one point or another. Great idea. I think a boat ride also helps to slow the pace of an attraction, versus the Omnimover that whisks you through pretty quickly. With a boat, you have to drift and really take it in. That's not a bad thing.

Perhaps or perhaps not relevant, Kumbak also designed an evacuation system for Morey's Piers SLC.

A great article: http://www.kenoshanews.com/lifestyles/for_your_amusement_wisconsin_family_enjoys_a_long_ride_on_the_carnival_circuit_482758517.html

That is tough, because there were so many great parts. Dennis Spiegel's presentation stands out as being special. He was a very personable speaker, with tons of interesting history and information. The impromptu speech during lunch on Sunday was also quite entertaining. Just getting the chance to geek out and spend time with other coaster fans was fun as well. The variety of swag, and especially the souvenir cups were a pleasant surprise. Obviously, winning the Twitter contest, cool photos and a couple tickets to use to bring my husband to the park in the future were a highlight! The contest forced me to be more observant during the weekend, too. More behind-the-scenes! I would love to get the chance to go inside the Flight of Fear building, the final lift hill of Adventure Express, inside Fort Coney. I realize this may not be feasible, especially with such a large group (smaller groups with special scheduled times throughout the day would be nice), but you don't ask you don't get It would also be nice to get inside the train maintenance building as we all thought we were going to this year, only to be told at the end it was "the rain contingency plan" (to which everyone who heard/has since heard replied "wish it had rained then!")More speeches/park history. I can't get enough! I can't think of anything I'd like less of. Except bad weather, possibly, but if it kept the crowds down a bit, I can't even really complain. I would like to see some sort of park scavenger hunt/trivia game. Things we couldn't just look up online, but would need to hunt down within the park or pay attention to during tours and presentations. Spoiled! I feel like the people responsible for this event went far above and beyond what I even hoped it would be. As a whole, I absolutely loved the weekend. There were only two small let-downs or snags for me on the entire weekend. First was not getting to go in the train maintenance building, but the park history, being behind the scenes, and getting selfies with the set pieces (and Don Helbig ) made it well worth the time anyway. Second was an issue trying to get refills on Sunday. My first one didn't scan properly at all, but the young employee went ahead and let me have it when he saw my Coasterstock lanyard. However, the second time, it scanned as $1 refill and the employee hadn't even heard of Coasterstock nor really understood what I was trying to say about being told we'd be getting refills free both days. No supervisor was available (I told him he should talk to them when they were, though, because I'm sure he was going to encounter more of us), so I went ahead and paid. As always, Customer Service at the front gates put things more than right. She was going to exchange my cup for a new one so it would give free refills, but I was tired of carrying it around anyway and planned to stick it back in my vehicle for the day, so I told her not to worry about it. She also gave me five Beagle Bucks in return for the $1 I spent on the refill. I don't think I'll even use any of them because they're cool So even the small negatives ended up being positives overall. Can I buy my ticket now?

Like LoraX, my first visits become blurred. Enchanted Voyage was instantly etched in my brain. My first ride on Racer, traumatic, ecstatic, documented here before. Rotor, Haleys Comet, Bayern Curve, Wheel of Fortune, and a HUGE pickle barrel, are also faded memories. All precious to me, but none as precious as my first lift hill ride with MrsNoChickens, Vortex, just another reason to love it.

Your tonearm needs a new pickup needle. (That joke only available on vinyl).

Remember when Kings Island had three very respectable, world-class indoor dark ride experiences? TOMB RAIDER: The Ride, Flight of Fear, and Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle? Scooby Doo was a masterpiece compared to Boo Blasters. I rode it last week. Your experience begins in the creepy and haunting antechamber where the greatest hits of summer 2013 set a haunted, forgotten, and uninhabited tone, lit by that eerie, spine-tingling fluorescent shine that only high-definition TVs can produce. Inside your vehicle, most of the guns don't work (let's hope Junior doesn't end up at a broken one! Oops!) and even if they do, half of the targets don't (which is downright jolly on a ride that is essentially lifeless unless the broken targets get activated by broken guns). Can't see where you're aiming anyway - no lasers (unlike the other parks' versions). Many of the ride's effects don't work. I initially typed "animatronics" but that would be a misnomer wouldn't it? I'm thinking specifically of a turntable (the chasing tourist scene) and a hinge (the skeletons in bed) that apparently aren't worth fixing this year. Maybe next year! I find it funny that someone on an earlier page suggested that they've just forgotten to turn on the fog screen. If so, the person who's meant to turn it on each morning has overslept since the week after the ride opened, and I'd personally buy him an alarm clock if it would solve the problem. Useless and meaningless finale, too. (The same finale, by the way, makes for an awesome scene when the ride operates with individual carts, like at Kings Dominion.) It's downright sad. I feel as though the constant driving force and thought behind park operations should be, "How would this come across to a first time guest?" Even ignoring the things a first-time guest wouldn't notice (because they don't know what's supposed to happen, i.e. fog screen, visible lasers, etc) the state of the ride is abysmal and embarrassing.

http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2015/05/25/abbey-road-on-the-river-founder-says-festival-will.html?ana=e_lou_bn_breakingnews&u=pB2D54PrJ4m+tf5T51zZ5o6bDaJ&t=1432568368

The retail installment plan contract that I electronically signed when I renewed my pass for 2015 last fall contained an explicit clause stating that the installment plan cannot be canceled for any reason. Your installment plan contract (which I hope you saved a copy of) almost certainly says the same thing. You're essentially asking for a preemptive "refund" on the future payments, but it's no different than someone who paid in full up front: there are no refunds for buyer's remorse, or when you discover you can't use it.

I found out when I visited Friday that his name is Benjamin Franklin. His lady friend is Martha. He really likes to show off!

Indeed. So much for that theory!

Sea Viper was an Arrow looping coaster, though, and not an SLC...?

The park will roll in the quarters today!

Like Fast Lane...you pays more money. It's just to the left of the front gate, and fenced in.

I'm here now, and lots of people are braving the wind and sprinkles to happily line up (and go in for ERT). I got a rare preferred parking so I can wait out the current squall, and then walk in without the hike.

For the last several days, this site had spells of being slower than sorghum molasses on a subfreezing day. This morning, it's zooming. I don't know if we changed servers or it's the holiday. EDIT: I jinxed it. This took about 12 seconds to post.

Last season some of the acts were vastly different from the beginning of the season to the end of the season. I wonder if it will be the same this year or if last year was changed due to necessity (i.e. clown injuries). The show continuously improved last year from what was really good to begin with.

Poor Sid.

For a newb could you explain this comment? Thanks, I really do appreciate everyone who is helping me learn the terminology and such. Surf Dog is listed as a coaster, by some.

I have to apologize for the prior misinformation. Very sorry about that. Scrambler is spinning as usual with a shiny new coat of paint and a lack of Eli Bridge decals. You know it's going to be a fun season when the power goes out on the second day of the year. It was a big surprise to everyone there - luckily everything was safe and orderly. As always, check out the midway when you come. We've spent lots of hard work making it vibrant and fun to all parkgoers. Have A Fun Day!

Cool! I'm going next Sunday (the 31st) and it's like a 50% chance of rain in the morning. I think if it does rain, it'll be a great chance to see some of the shops I've never been in before. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The only thing I would comment on that would be how much the high school fair cost to get in and how much was food and stuff like that, they probably had way more attendance because it certainly did not cost as much as say KK to get in. Now 50,000 has me a bit worried about KK, I hope it just survives. The only thing that really boils my blood is when other members here compare KK to a way bigger park(like KI or CP) and say that KK needs to be like this or do things like they do. KK is not even close to being in the league of those parks and they are in different parts of their lifespan anyway, KK was built in 1989, so it is around 26 years old, when was KI just 26 years old, when they were just starting out with Paramount in 1994. You can't just compare KK to a park that gets 2.5 million more than it. However I am not saying that I am defending the park, the parks policies make me a little sick inside, with refusing ADA standards at Swampwater Jacks or not inspecting their coasters and rides daily and many more policies that are issues. I really want KK to succeed, but I do not know if it will. I think it could become actual competition if they were smart. They may not be as large, and they could even keep the same amount of rides as they have now. But they do not market well to the state. Like I said earlier, I'm outside of Lexington and I rarely hear or see any promotions for the park. They could easily put themselves on the map if they marketed better and were consistent in information. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm with you on that Magenta...I don't enjoy gambling at ALL....unless there is funsies involved. They have several of these old school contraptions at the Saint Cecilia fair here in Columbus on the west side around late summer. That's the only time I get to enjoy them anymore. If and when I remember to go catholic that year. All quarters too...no funny crap. I'll throw a quarter or two into the machine or two in salute of your shaking hands if I make it this year. Maybe I'll knock off a dollar fiftie in doing so. . Off the edge I mean.

Welcome to KIC !! Just as others have posted, only one I'm sure of is the Super8. Great Wolf Lodge is walking distance, but pricey.

Sunday's this year seem to be busier than last year. The crowds remind me more of summertime than May.

I saw the show for the first time yesterday. I agree, it's amazing!! I LOVE the changes they made, and I'm glad they brought back what they did (just wouldn't be Cirque without Trevor, right?) Part of me wishes that they changed out more acts, but that's from the perspective of someone who saw the show a lot last year. They successfully took last year's show and made it even better. Another must see!!

They scrapped a Sunday or Thursday (I can't remember) during Haunt in like 2006 or 2007, but that's the only time I can I think of. Days when there are intermittent storms are some of the best to visit. Have fun!!

Well if they did a Great Pumpkin themed ride they could keep some of the spooky elements to it. But think a bigger refurb would be better than just an overlay, the stuff in there could use a bit of work. And painting the cars and changing the queue room shouldn't cost too much. Can leave it as a fairly generic room just make it a little lighter and paint or new wallpaper and it's good to go. Could put Charlie Brown and Snoopy or someone in the balcony too. Also with the omnimover system if it goes back to a traditional dark ride again then they could put the cars back ont hat were removed and that would increase capacity even more.

I have not been on the ride this year with lights on. Have you been to SFA or SFFT? They have outdoor versions of Flight of Fear (Joker's Jinx and Poltergeist). They do not have mid course brake. You may really like those. They look somewhat like Borg Spheres for you Star Trek fans.

Arrr! Speakin' o' Waterrrr, ye riders of ye olde White Water Canyon bewarrrre! Fer ye Cap'n Thrill Beard be approachin,' and I be bringin' me pieces of eight fer the Geysers, and there be much soakin' in storrrre! ... arrr!