KENTUCKY KINGDOM CLOSED

[Shaggy]

Mayor speaks out, says there's nothing that can be done, SFKK is closed.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100205/BUSINESS/2050349/Abramson+“shocked”+by+Kentucky+Kingdom+closing

[DropZone99]

This sucks so bad. I only got to go to SFKK 3 times in my whole life, in the mid-late 90's, 2000, and 2003. From what I can remember I liked it, and I had tons of fun every time I went (this was before I was a coaster enthusiast though.) It sucks cause I never got to ride Chang and T2 cause I never became tall enough until 2004 and I just never went for some reason. A few times I thought I might be going, but something would always get in the way. But now that I have my license (and my new Lexus I got yesterday), I was actually going to go to SFKK's opening day and buy a season pass. Well it seems now I'll have to buy my pass at SFGAm or STSTL.

[raptor]

I wanted so much to go there and ride Flying Dutchman as I have not rode that since I was a little kid and great memories of it, I had planned on going there last year, until I decided to take my PA amusement park trip, so I was thinking about this year, Oh well, I waited a little too long

[RailRider]

No real surprise, but still a loss to the industry. Makes the impending sale of Cedar Fair seem marginal when compared to the fate of SFKK.

[XGatorHead 8904]

And the award for best quote goes to:

It seems the Fair had held SFKK by the nuts for so long, they failed to notice that the owners grew a new, and bigger set.

I've only been to KK once, in 1998 approximately two weeks before (then-)Twisted Sisters opened and SF took control of the park. KK, along with LaSourdsville Lake (sorry dare-to-fly!), were my two worst park experiences anywhere. With that said, I'm still saddened (but not surprised) to see this happen.

After talking to several people from this site about SFKK, and reading many posts on it here, I was almost ready to give it a second chance, and was seriously considering making a trip down for their opening day. I was particularly looking forward to riding Flying Dutchman again (which I haven't ridden since it was at KI) and Greezed Lightnin' (which I haven't ridden since it was at then-Marriott's Great America as Tidal Wave).

I'm always saddened whenever I hear about a park closing, even if it was one I didn't particularly care for myself. I know that there are many people who do like it, and I can only imagine what they're going through by thinking how I would feel if one of my favorite parks closed. Hopefully most of the rides will find new homes and not just be scrapped.

[bkroz]

This is a loss for a lot of people - I can understand since I live fifteen minutes from the former Worlds of Adventure. It was a shock to the locals, the businesses, and the industry when what was, on paper, a picture-perfect-park closed. I can imagine the same will happen in Kentucky. If it's anything like it was here, all the complaining about the park's traffic and clientele will quickly be replaced by complaining about dying businesses and a severely deflated local economy.

Since I live in Northeast Ohio, getting to Kentucky Kingdom was quite a stretch for me, even if I went out there on a tangent from Kings Island. I never really planned to go (especially since I've been on my share of stand-ups, my share of SLC's, and my share of Schwartzkopf shuttle loopers) but I can still empathize with those affected by this. It's always sad to see a park leave from the nearby area, and it will be interesting to see if this affects Kings Island's business.

[specialk141]

i went to sfkk annually from about 1997 to 2003 (whenever greased lightning came) at which point it just became a useless trip since the rides remained the same, and you were lucky to catch all of them operating.

i wish this park went back to the days before six flags. Mr. Hart added "Hellevator", "t2", "chang" and "twisted twins" in a four year period (95-98) which i believe is what originally made it so attractive for six flags to pursue. the park was thriving and clearly on the way up, then came SF. i cannot help but wonder what would have become of the park had it never been sold in the first place.

so sad to see it go. Thunder Run was / is one of my favorite woodies. gonna miss that park. i'm all about bringing back the flying dutchman to KI! haha

[hausty1983]

I didn't read through all the pages but, do you guys think Magic Mountain may get a coaster from Kentucky Kingdom to make their count 18 and beat Cedar Point?

[74Gibson]

^ Who cares? CP has all the coasters I need! The title doesn't mean anything to me.

[RailRider]

The title doesn't mean as much as it used to. The coaster wars of the 90's and early 00's is long over.

[hausty1983]

I could careless about this park I never went at all.

[Beast1979]

I could careless about this park I never went at all.

That means you do care somewhat, to say you do not care would be you Couldn't care less.....

That also sounds very insensitive by the way.

[HTCO]

I could careless about this park I never went at all.

A park you hate, another one loves. To add to that, you have never been to experience it. Neither have I. But saying you don't care is like saying, "Well, I didn't know that person so I don't care if he is dead!". Not right. Not cool.

[The Interpreter]

Holiday World Expects Positive Bounce From Kentucky Kingdom Closing:

Word that Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville is closing brought a mixed reaction from Will Koch, president of Holiday World & Splashin' Safari here.

"It's tough, always sad when another park closes," Koch said Friday morning. "We know the people (employees) over there."

But he said Holiday World also sees it as an opportunity to draw even more customers from the Louisville area.

"We would love to offer our park to their fans and we think we have the capacity," said Koch.

He said while Holiday World's attendance — just over 1 million annually — has remained fairly flat since 2006, the family-owned park has continued to open new rides and make other improvements and expects corporate picnic business to rebound this year....

http://www.courierpr...e-kentucky-kin/

[Guest rcfreak339]

Just heard this from WLKY in Louisville "For Six Flags to leave they will have to pay 2.2 Million dollars and we will NOT let them take a single ride out of the park."

[The Interpreter]

Uh huh. As for ride removal, that depends on the terms of the lease. As for the $2.2 million payment, the bankruptcy court may have other ideas. Reorganization in bankruptcy allows the tenant-bankrupt the opportunity to reject the lease, as Six Flags has here. Normally, then the terms of the lease as to penalties for early termination no longer apply.

To the extent the rides are the bankrupt's property, the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the Fair Board have no rights to take them. If they do, they can be accused of theft...and held in contempt of the bankruptcy court to boot. I'd proceed very carefully if I were the lessor here.

[Guest rcfreak339]

^Doesn't Six Flags own about 50% of the land anyways? If true how can the statement KEC said be true?

[The Interpreter]

As Shaggy posted earlier, Six Flags owns 20 of the 58 acres, with 38 acres leased from the Fair Board....

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=20717&view=findpost&p=360531

[hausty1983]

Sell Chang to us it would never happen ever just a thought though but I doubt it.

[The Interpreter]

Chang is already on site at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois....

Not to mention Cedar Fair is in no shape to be buying Chang right now...

[SOB_TOM]

CF is in no shape to do much of anything except take deep breaths at this point.

[Browntggrr]

I didn't read through all the pages but, do you guys think Magic Mountain may get a coaster from Kentucky Kingdom to make their count 18 and beat Cedar Point?

How many people do you think would travel over 600 miles or take a plane ride just to experience a park with the most coaster record?

[The Interpreter]

Certainly not me. Quality beats quantity every time.

[bkroz]

Certainly not me. Quality beats quantity every time.

For example, Busch Gardens Europe Williamsburg - with only four "adult" coasters, each one towers over its Cedar Point equivalent. When it was Alpengeist, Big Bad Wolf, Apollo's Chariot, Griffon, and Loch Ness Monster, I'd take those five quality coasters over a seventeen, some-good-some-okay-some-not-so-good collection any day. It's even worth the extra drive - really!

[Beast1979]

Islands of Adventure and Universal Florida instantly come to mind. That is my #1 park, over Cedar Point. Despite having only what, 3 adult coasters when I went? It was still incredible. If someone asked me if I would rather go to Cedar Point or Universal Florida, I'd spend all of 2 seconds deciding.

[gigacoaster2k]

Quality beats quantity every time.

AMEN. As much as I love Cedar Point, I only truly enjoy 7 of their 17 coasters. More is not always better.. it's kind of like people who think that because Dragster is CP's tallest, it has to be CP's best. I'll take a ride on Magnum XL-200, Blue Streak, Raptor, or Maverick over TTD any day.

IMO, more coasters don't always equal a better park, and taller coasters don't always mean a better coaster.

[maverick2007]

I have a funny feeling we'll be hearing something from Mr. Danny Rogers very soon.

[Jasper]

I am really sad to see the park closing. I had only went about 3 times but it was a nice little park with, at one time, a nice selection of rides. Chang being the staple obviously was their best coaster IMO. Sadly though, I never got to ride T2 or Greezed Lightnin'. I did though however, get to experience Hellavator when it was just that, Hellavator.

[The Interpreter]

Maybe everyone should have paid more attention last September when Six Flags started dismantling the famous Chang roller coaster at its Kentucky Kingdom park at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

Word was that Chang was being pulled to make room for Bonzai Beach, a new water park to open in 2011... This is about more than summer kicks and a bunch of roller coasters. Kentucky Kingdom is a major tourist attraction and economic engine, drawing thousands of people to the city and employing hundreds of young people each year. Unless something can be worked out, it appears that more than Chang will be silent this summer, and that's dreadful news for all of Louisville.

Editorial from the Courier-Journal in Louisville:

http://www.courier-j...entucky+Kingdom

[windshawne]

I don't know all the terms of the lease, but it appears to me greed is involved here. The situation is similar to what is going on in Mason right now with the park-a profitable attraction, let's see how long we can dip into the coffers.

I never made it to KK so I have no opinion on the park itself, but anytime a major employer closes, the community will suffer dearly, and maybe the fair board should consider that fact.

I would like to see flying dutchman returned to KI, but I suspect this situation will become a ****ing contest and the rides will sit in the elements until they are not usable-that is what happened to Wonderland's Bush Beast trains....