Shaggy

I have many pics of PT, most of the of the characters up close and personal. I was fortunate enough to see the attraction a number of times with the lights on, walk through it etc. I even went through the workshop that was housed inside where the characters were repaired and replacement masks and costumes were kept. Here's a picture of me (a looooong time ago....) playing around in one of the "scenes" from Phantom Theater. (It's the "Who's out there? No one's allowed backstage" scene.) Again, the pic is not great - it was nearly impossible to get good pics when walking through the attraction with just work lights on. I also have many memories of riding it. I rode it every visit of every year it was in operation. There were minor changes through the years, and many original effects bit the dust after just a season or two. In it's first year of operation, the attraction was insanely amazing. By the final years, the maintenance of it was laughable. One time, while riding, I witnessed one of the character's arm fall off. No joke... in the final boiler room scene.. one of the "How 'bout some heat!" fellas arm fell out of socket and was dangling by his sleeve.

The waterpark portion will be the draw.... always was.

When BBOBH (actually Scooby's Haunted Castle) took over Phantom Theater, the set upon which the Pepper's Ghost effect took place was "platformed up." Meaning 2x4 lumber was used to build risers and level the floor with the omnimover track. The base of the Phantom Theater Peppers Ghost set was probably about 6-8 feet below the track so there was probably no real room for a "basement." For those that don't know... the Peppers Ghost scene in PT involved a pass in front of the Theater's "Stage" where the various characters appeared and dissapeared from view. The scene was a direct copy of the one used in Disney's Haunted mansion. The trick is achieved by having the physical animatronic characters located above an below the ride vehicles. Riders were actually staring at reflections of them on a well hidden, enormous pane of glass. This gave people the illusion that you could see through them, and they were appearing at random. It was, by far, the best feature of PT. Here are two pictures I took many moons ago while walking through the Pepper's Ghost scene in PT. It's an empty set, because the remaining characters were behind me in a darkened, unlit space (the ride was not operating and was slated for demolition at this point.)

Wanna go truly old school?

It's where Tomb Raid... errrrr.... the Crypt... errr..... was, were.... ;-)

Ghoster Coaster anyone?

...or how about a rare look at a drained KCKC...

Or how about a rare (albeit blurry) look at the former Phantom Theater buggies passing by the "Pepper's Ghost" portion of the attraction.

In honor of the construction of Banshee... here's a look at the removal of King Cobra.

FYI, all the billboards featuring KK around Louisville have been updated pushing their season passes.

Latest news report from Wave 3 in Louisville

I once heard Charlie Dinn had owned one of The Bat lead cars and it was in storage. However that may be a myth.

Back to the topic at hand... I got sneaky and took some pics while at the Fairgrounds this weekend... Enjoy!

FYI, Track and supports for the new coaster are on site at KK. I would suspect assembly to begin this week.

Probably warmer temps, and when all other priorities are met. If that camera didn't get "wiped" for a month I wouldn't blame them... it is currently 12 degrees.

So forgive me, but I assume the supports haven't at all been painted yet?

It's called "Increte." and is indeed stained concrete. The color in increte cannot be removed, the concrete must be removed completely. Many parks use increte... and are using it more an more. It's known in the construction industry for it's ability to not only take and retain color/stain, but also it's ability to produce stamped patterns. http://www.increte.com/

I would suspect we've seen the last of the circular "increte" Action Zone insignia.

Although I enjoy watching Banshee rise, I am concerned for any workers in these temps. Frankly, I wish they would take the time off until temps rise. It's simply too cold to be assembling today. Surely they have buffer time for completion.

Gotta say... KD is knocking the ball so far out of the park for 2014 that my jaw is literally on the floor. Hint, Hint, Hint KI.... Floral bell... topiaries... Ghinkos... Flying Eagles.... "International Street"...

Either way, his is an incorrect statement... some notables were built within that 25-year period. Blue Streak, Matterhorn etc. I think the significance to The Racer is that it received great publicity. Interest in coasters had wained, and The Racer's size and scope drew attention and was news worthy... thus the park got lots of press. That rejuvination of interest is what started the "Second Golden Age."

Although that may be the initial proposed rendering... that's exactly what the real thing looks like. The billboards are that *odd.*

Happy Holidays Don! I am curious. Does KI still shut down for a holiday break Christmas - New Years? If so, will construction also halt? (I apologize if this has been covered previously.)

No amount of paint, no amount of new rides, and no amount of good intentions will cause KK to succeed if they do not, first and foremost, commit themselves to developing a safe and fun atmosphere free of the teenage riff-raff troubles that have ALWAYS plagued the park.

Admission at a park is typically not a revenue generator. The idea is to get them in the door, and have them spend monies on other things. That's where profits lie. Really, the idea of a pay-one-price was born out of the philosophy that profit margins lay within the park - not at the gate.