BeeastFarmer

I'd prefer the blue to be a little darker, like a galaxy blue. Then name the coaster Wildcat 345 in honor of the Big Blue Nation.

I think GWL is a preferred KI hotel. What that means, I don't know. I do know that I have stayed at a couple of Mom and Pop hotels there, and the innkeepers told me that KI had stopped promoting them when they wanted a lot of money--but they still promoted KI. I've been to GWL with my niece, color me not impressed. But I can see the family appeal.

Who is Vekoma piggybacking off of this time? Their new track design looks very B&Mish. But they did collaborate with RMC for Wildfire, didn't they?

Great photos and video, Matt. I'm glad the naysayers who said the park would never reopen, then said it wouldn't come back for a second and third season, were wrong. I also like that Cedar Fair and Kentucky Kingdom allow employees reciprocal free admission.

@starlitfire, thank you!

I chose the 80's because that was the KI of my youth. I went from being a child to an obnoxious teenager to a misguided young man during those years. I rode my first roller coaster, The Beastie, in 1980. I was scared to death, but by the end of the day, I had ridden The Racer and The Beast. I remember riding Vortex during its initial year. I remember all the rumors swirling around school about Mr. Jon Harter on grad night in '83. I remember the "oom-pah" music on IS, the meeting at the ET at certain times of the day, parking in Scooby Doo Row 3. I remember the time our tram stopped in the safari and a bison rammed into the side. I remember the paw prints that lead to The Beast and the iron fist that lead to Vortex. I remember Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal. I remember Enchanted Voyage and the Smurfs. This is my nostalgia. For KI, I definitely think the 10's have been great. I think the park has a great future. It is the decade that I became obsessed first with roller coasters, and now parks and their stories. But I couldn't vote twice.

Does anyone here know what attractions were new to KI in 1983? Or was there anything specific that happened at KI on 4-15-1983?

I'd like to see the blue area and the area behind the floral clock developed at some point. And interesting to note on your photo...look at all the trees around the tower. I don't think they made it less photogenic. I guess we will find out as the new linden trees grow that were planted a couple of years ago. I am glad they got rid of the burning bush hedges. I think it looks much cleaner without them. Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

If you are talking about in the area in front of the Junkyard Stunt Coaster, would a Mouse fit there? I think, and this is stretching it, maybe a smaller Ferris Wheel there with extensive landscaping and a couple of flats behind the International Showplace, where the Salt Water Circus was, and kind of tie that area into IS with the landscape theme.

I'm sorry to turn this into a tree thread, LOL. But I think some gingko trees, shaped into topiary like the ones that were brought from Coney Island, would look great around the tower. And add in some weeping fir for contrast. I do like the weeping white pines over near the KI Theater and the Chicken Shack, but I think they would be distracting around the tower.

I think there is or was a Japanese Maple near Graters or Street Pizza. I'd like to see more ornamental trees on I-Street, like the weeping fir that is/was near the Emporium. It's going to be a great surprise. I kind of hope they don't release too many details.

It depends on the tree. I'm not sure what the wholesale market dictates in the Cincinnati area, but we could get most 15 gallon trees (usually about 8-10' tall) for around $50. But that was several years ago and in Arizona. But if the cost was $100, and they planted 50/year, the cost would be 5k/year or about $417/month, which is a pretty easy number to swallow. The in house landscaping team could handle the labor as part of routine maintenance. They could do a mixture to include ash, maple, fir, pine, redwood, and gingko. Those are all attractive, give good shade and are low maintenance. But, then again, I am just an armchair enthusiast and don't know budgets, needs etc. I do think the park is doing a great job and I am more excited about the future of KI than I have ever been.

I wasn't and haven't been annoyed by you, @Maverick44. @Rivertown Rider, I doubt the trees would have been relocated. The one picture that was released by the park had a decimated tree near Sweet Spot. The trees were fairly old and likely wouldn't survive a move. Plus the cost is outrageous (or at least it was 15 years ago when I was in that industry), not to mention the potential to damage utilities and infrastructure. I wish the park would set a tree planting goal of 50-100 trees per year throughout the park. That way when things like the emerald ash borer take out trees, or they become past their prime, replacements would have been growing in. I have posted a link I found of a pin oak being transplanted, smaller than the linden trees that were on IS. As you can see, about 75% of the root mass is left behind. Plus, those trees probably had a very extensive root system that went under the pavers and towards the Royal Fountain, looking for water and nutrients.

In my world...If BLSC has to stay where it's at...a full retheme would involve somehow tying it into Rivertown with a mythical theme that is loosely connected with The Beast, D-back and Mystic Timbers. It would also be heavily relandscaped and softened. Maybe some flats up where Salt Water Circus was and gardens that would evoke the granduer of Les Taxis/OOAL. If not a retheme, soften the area up by planting trees, shrubs and flowers. Maybe tie in the area closest to the ET to IS.

I don't consider it a rumour, I lean more toward speculation. Maybe it's just semantics, but I see a distinction. Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

@chugh43, I can be a bit contrarian sometimes. As in, I liked Mean Streak. And Anaconda. But Goliath at SFMM sucks. Coasters can be very subjective.

Since CF is not currently working with Intamin on new rides, I think that is where the speculation comes from. Wicked Twister could be relocated, which would open up boardwalk space nd it would be new to CGA. But then again, it could be a new coaster if CF contracts with Intamin for it, or one of the other companies designs one.

Hurler is the absolute worst wooden roller coaster I have ridden. I never got to experience Hurler at KD, though. But yeah, after I got off of Hurler, I told myself I wish they would tear this thing down. Now, Thunder Run at Kentucky Kingdom, the third "Hurler" is awesome. Kind of ironic that a former Six Flags coaster, that had sat abandonned for years and got a minor retracking before being reopened, rode great than another ride very simiiiar at Carowinds, which was never abandonned.

Railblazer was also specifically mentioned in previous quarterly reports. If I remember correctly, it opened later than expected.

I love Raptor's roar! Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

If we get a GiGa, I hope that it sounds like FURY 325. Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

I saw your post earlier today. I am not an industry insider, but a fan of parks. I grew up going to KI once yearly for most of my childhood, stopped going consistently after high school, moved to Idaho and Arizona during the Paramount years. After moving back to Kentucky in 2007, I visited the park a few times, but had little knowlege of the industry. So much so, I stopped going because I went to Haunt on a good weather Saturday and didn't have the correct expectations. In 2014, I went in May with a friend, it was cool and rainy and we felt like the park was ours. Several rides we literally the only people there. The employees were nice and cheerful and acted just as if the park was packed. I rode The Beast 14 times that day and that's what got me hooked. Since then, I have made some good friends, gained much knowledge and lingo, and spent way too much money. The resouces I started out with were YouTube and Google. That's how I found KIC. I'd like to offer some constructive criticism. If you need information for a project, give a little more lead time and make sure to mention that you have a deadline and what it is. I had planned on responding tomorrow, but I take it that is too late, as this post may be. I hope your project goes well and you have enough data to complete it well!

I hope they have a variation of the Ultimate Stunt Show again.

Interesting discussion. Something I have always wondered--When a park builds a massive new attraction, does it pay for it "up front" or is it ammortized over a period of years, going to longer debt?

@upstop, maybe they will do this on the Festhaus. A virtual glockenspeil would be cool. LOL