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I'm sure there's a minimal level of care. But they are making decisions from a non-emotional standpoint. Remember, the parks are being overseen by a team led by the very person who, when they were acting GM at KI, sacrificed the original Antiques, KCKC, and Flying Eagles. Sentimentality is not forefront on the current executive teams mind. Cutting maintenance costs and redemption of real-estate within the parks is. As I said in an earlier post - it is what it is.... and there's more to come...

Beat me to it.

Snow Works is one of the few disappointments at WinterFest. It pales in comparison to the snow tube attraction for Christmas at Kentucky Kingdom.

Hurler being removed? What the schell? I thought it was gonna be the Carolina Cyclone???

(Not directed at you specifically) I don’t think the removal of any of those attractions is anything more than “wishful” thinking from enthusiasts who’d like to see half the park demo’d in favor of concrete and lackluster coaster installations. Have there been any legitimate rumors saying this? Aside from regularly scheduled seasonal work involving Timberwolf? That said, I hope none of that comes to fruition, including the removal of Top Gun/The Bat. There are so many other areas of the park that need attention before AZ. I’m afraid that massive ride removals would only lead to large spaces of cleared land and wooden fences for 5-10 years.

Bye Nighthawk!! Sorry to hear about Scream Weaver/Drop Tower.

Enjoyed my visit last night. I did not end up doing the buffet....but enjoyed my meal at Coney BBQ. Racer in December just hits different. So fun!!! Snoopy's Soap Box Racers was a nice addition. The lights around the train have been mostly fixed...there were still fixtures that left the people decapitated, missing an arm, or just not on at all. Music played which was a plus. Snow Works only allowed for 2-3 lanes to be used. I tried two of the cocktails, which ended up being good.

@johnjniehausI hope you enjoy your piece and treasure it as much as I did. Thank you KIC for helping me and my family.

Made it to Winterfest, forgot my life jacket.

Little did the last train on Son of Beast know they would be last riders ever. But that one is easier to understand. Historical perspective: Did Bayren Curve, Flying Dutchman, Der Spinnin Keggers, Flight Commander, Cinema 180, The Bat(1.0), KCKC, Ohio Overland Livery Company, King Cobra, Screamin' Demon, Wild Animal Habitat, Bavarian Beetle, Scooby's Ghoster Coaster and Halley's Comet and The Crypt have a "proper" send off? Or were they quietly retired with no fanfare?

That day little kids didn't make it to the bottom of the hill.

Because they don't care?

Fixed it for you

Hey we got that new 2024 Coke Refresh Station! Things are looking up in Action Zone!

You forgot the *in the park

I said this in the last thread. It may be rumor, may not- but it's not out of the realm of possibility. It will be 32 years old at the end of the 2025 season- the exact same age as Vortex was when it was deemed past it's service life. I don't think it's a stretch to say that even before the announcement was made, Vortex had a higher ridership count. Top Gun/Flight Deck/The Bat (or whatever its being called this decade) is a dinosaur coaster concept and probably not in the top 10 in ridership numbers at the park. I feel that if the rumors about Invertigo, Congo, Timberwolf, and now The Bat are accurate.... then 2026 or 2027 could bring a new experience. Would like to see the scar at the back of the park addressed though.... but those attractions occupy prime "front of park" real estate and are aging/low ridership. My hope is that they chase after a unique "experience driven" attraction/coaster... multi-launch and under 100ft tall and theme the h*!! out of it. Create and write the story you want then design the attraction to tell it. I love the theme and layout of Taron (Phantasialand)- which if not mistaken cost less than Orion. BUT, history tells me it will be another "TALLER, FASTER", etc...

They didn't really give a date for these closures did they? Also, interesting that Hurler is not on there. I feel its time to get rid of Hurler and not Nighthawk

Kind of surprised about Scream Weaver, that's too bad.

Hey thank you @Vortex1987 I never thought I'd ever get to have one but I'll definitely treasure it always . I hope your situation/circumstances improve. It was nice to get to chat about the park with you too.

I would also like to see a nicely made park museum installed into the KillMart building, although only if the maze is moved to a new location. The idea of losing another Haunt maze makes me hesitant, but I'd think it could be easy enough to construct another small warehouse like the park did for Slaughterhouse when it moved. It might not be easy, but a short looping documentary would also be really fun to have in there if the building were to be turned into a museum. There's one massive thing standing in the way of expansion within KI's Soak City that I haven't seen a ton of people talk about: the high voltage power lines that cross directly through the center of it. I'm not at all versed on the rules regarding what can go under them, but from what I've gathered it's not much more than a path. The gap isn't huge but it's noticeable enough and unfortunate because nothing can be built under them.

I do enjoy a good schell game.

How much of this is just engagement bait? Or is there something to it? https://x.com/TPRBrandon/status/1869057034970394890

I agree, and the demand created from that scarcity of a soon to be retired ride would attracts folks to come to the park. Therefore it would warrant transparency. Maybe they don’t want to sell tickets?

I was, as Gary Wachs told me a few years ago, a "true carney." That's why I believe it's the wrong decision to not be transparent with park fans when a ride is going to be retired and let them know in advance so they can get in their last rides.

Neither. A post was made here claiming to have insight that, much like how Kingda Ka's, Green Lantern's, and Nighthawk's removals were handled for SFGAdv and Carowinds this year, The Bat will be quietly removed in the 2025-2026 off-season. It could easily be someone making something up, but it does track for how things are currently being handled by SF corporate, which is why I think it's reasonable to expect a statement from either KIC leadership (e.g. "we have asked the park for confirmation and will share responses"), KI's PR, or both. Instead, the thread was quietly deleted. I've been around here long enough to know what pressure from KI PR often smells like.

Anyone else gonna miss Lookout Lagoon? Something about that yellow pirate ship…it’s hard to put into words, but to me personally it had the same jaw dropping effect that could only be compared to seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time. As a kid I one day dreamed of setting sail and climbing on those masts, and dreamed of taking over the seven seas, plundering and pillaging for treasure and gold. I will truly miss the racing exposed water slides attached to the ship, they were slick, fast, and WET, everything you could want in a slide and more. The interaction between you and the person next to you made it feel like The Racer, and I’m glad to see this specific slide of Lookout Lagoon set the blueprint for RiverRacers. The design team KNEW they had to honor the legacy of these yellow racing slides, and will it live up to the legacy? We will find out… Now, you’re probably asking yourself, “well I think you’re forgetting something?” And for those weary eyed readers, you are correct. I’m talking about: the enclosed slide attached to the pirate ship in Loookout Lagoon. Oh, where to begin. See this attraction was like if you put FOF in the water park and cranked it up to 10. I remember opening day 97 rope dropping this attraction in my swim shirt and making a mad dash (walking, of course) to that specific slide in Lookout Lagoon. I remember standing on that deck looking into that black hole of mystery and intrigue, wondering what would happen when I send my body down that serpentine slide. There I was, grasping the yellow fiberglass tube with both of my hands, feeling that cool chlorinated water against my feet, sending tingles down my spine, the rush of the water was deafening. A guard said “you can go.” And then I went. I remember that intial drop giving a slight hint of floater airtime and just being transported to another world, another time. The bright yellows of the slide disappeared into a black hole, I didn’t know which way was up or which was down, it was like a warm blanket of mystery and intrigued enveloped me, and let me know I would be okay. This drop then turned into a 90 degree turn to the left, the laterals pushing me to the right, yet my body turned left, a sensation I have yet to experience on another slide. This lateral sensation quickly turned into a drop heading into the Lagoon. A subtle change in angle lead to the lagoon, or the pool as some may say, and SPLASH! A Great Wall of water overcame my body, and there I was, drenched. From there on, I knew I was in the right place, I was in Lookout Lagoon, while this may be a telling of my story from the first time I rode it on opening day 1997, that story remained the same each time I rode that enclosed slide up until 2024, it’s a shame the park didn’t do a send off, maybe sell pieces of the slide? It just shows I come from a different time, when the park just put a little more care into the guest, now it’s all about shareholders. I wish RiverRacers well in its journey in continuing the story of Soak City, but for now, a large, Lookout Lagoon, sized hole in my heart will remain forever. Never forget the yellow enclosed slide.

In light of recent events it is now advised to stand at least 6' away from 1974.