Shaggy

It’s really a shame. Herschend is making huge strides with Kentucky Kingdom-I hate that they face this setback. Ive heard from a good source the build is completely fire-ravaged on the inside and the roof is a goner. It will likely result in a ground up rebuild. The good news is, if they have to start from scratch- it will likely be an even better restaurant than originally planned. Im hoping a good outcome for the park. I think Flying Fox is going to be a hit for them.

No sure if this has been mentioned, but it appears they have primed the entire facade of the former castle entrance.

I truly believe KI already has a HUGE hit on their hands. This has as much, if not more, buzz than virtually all new attractions in the past twenty years. If this succeeds, as I think it will, I expect it will set the trajectory for all future installs at KI.

Yes, I believe it was determined the $900K was for building modifications alone. (I was confused by, and asked about, the low amount months ago.) I guarantee the entire project is more than likely in the range of $5M+.

I think you answered your own question. Once the waterpark closes each day, families tend to vacate KK. In the past, that left the later hours predominantly filled by teens. And its no secret that KK has had more than its share of "issues" with teens in the park. I'm sure its a multi-tiered decision, but I guarantee that was a large factor. As for "theme park" vs "amusement park" - its pretty clear what the Herschend strategy is with this park. Just watch their latest construction video (part 1) - skip to the thirty second mark.

I believe this to be a strategic move to further cement the changes from its past reputation as an "amusement/thrill park" to a "family theme park."

The front half of the park will obviously undergo an overhaul and retheme over the next two years. For 2026, there's not only the new Flying Fox coaster, but the restaurant (Casa Mia) at the front of the park is getting a massive overhaul. For 2027, the current 4D theater will be repurposed as an indoor coaster/dark ride that I've heard has yet to be chosen. The area around it will no doubt be overhauled - ala what they did with Discovery Cove. There's also a floating rumor that the giant swing ride (Skycatcher) may be relocated to the front half of the park. I'm sure the focus will then turn to the back half of the park for 2028 and beyond. I have also heard that the park has been eyeing what to do with the rogue/poor placement of Kentucky Flyer. This is due to the fact that its often "missed" by guests who don't know how to find it, or even know its there. If the rumor of moving Sky Catcher to the front of the park holds true, that will leave it as the only dry ride in that back side of the park. It would also be the only attraction negating waterpark expansion into that land area. It will be interesting to see its eventual fate. Finally, the Fairground's West Wing and West Wing Pavilion - adjacent to the park's entrance - are being demolished in the coming year or two. New wings are being built to replace them. That will affect the entire lot directly in front of the main entrance and will likely prompt a major overhaul to KK's entry plaza. BTW - I was at the fairground this week and got to see the Flying Fox construction site up close. Probably only about 1/4 of the footers are poured. The station foundation is present, Once the park closes their Holiday event this week, I'm sure they will begin tearing up the midway for the underground tunnel. There's lots of prep work still left, so I'm sure it will be a month or two before any sort of track arrival/vertical construction will begin.

I've been questioning this permit for a while. Is the $900,000 supposed to be the entire cost? It seems very, very cheap for a complete overhaul. I'd expect this project to cost in the neighborhood of $5M - 10M. Maybe the amount shown here is for the exterior work? That seems about the amount it would likely cost for the entrance overlay...

If what they show is the completed demo (as stated in the post)... you can see they didn't remove the platforms/walls that were placed on top of the original theater (Pepper's Ghost) scene. It looks as though they may be re-using the "chase" turntable as well.

KingsIslandFan1972 said: "I wonder if the original voice of Maestro will be returning to voice him in the new ride?" He is.

I am still looking for card #57 (Boo Blasters) if anyone has an extra...

I noticed that Tin Lizzies seem to be missing (although there's a small bit of what could be it's track showing - but no full circuit.) There's some sort of a farm themed car-ride, also a rotational-type ride inside one of the coaster's turns. Another smaller thing I noticed - there's a horse-racing themed statue in the fountain of the main entrance... I don't recall there being one there currently. Annnnnd.... The circuit of the new coaster doesn't make sense (incomplete) and there's no main drop shown. The layout doesn't match Flying Fox's layout in its rendering, Concept art is just that... a concept. So I don't put much merit in them. I'm not saying those rides will not be added down the road - but it was probably just a rendering of potential ideas provided by one of the manufacturers, an outside theming company, or the park's development/planning team. We'll see. I actually hope those things will come. I hope Kentucky Kingdom will finally shed its poor past, and rise to its future potential. These are good indications the people in charge know precisely what the park can be.

The Dollywood version packs a surprisingly good little punch. I'm hoping the same for this. Love that they are tunneling under the walkway.

Flying Fox Coaster

I doubt you'll miss those specific trees when riding... especially when you learn what they were removed for ;-) ...and I agree with the earlier sentiment that any work to keep The Beast running - or running better - is always appreciated.