Kentucky Kingdom

[Buckeye Brad]

This will be a fascinating process to watch. So many amusement parks have failed lately (Geauga Lake, LeSourdesville Lake, Hard Rock, Wild West World, Kentucky Kingdom, etc). Still, I'm excited to what the Koch team will do with Kentucky Kingdom. If they pull it off, it just might be a blueprint to help save other struggling parks around the country.

I agree that the idea of a fully open restored park in 12 months is unlikely. To help improve their risk and sanity, I wonder if there is a fallback plan for 2013 that focuses on just the waterpark and select rides in the front section of the park. The result might be similar to Cincinnati's Coney Island, or Wyandot Lake: water park + small family style dry park. I think the waterpark would be much cheaper to restore than the dry park.

If 2013 shows promise, restore the coasters and the rest of the dry park over the next few years. Essentially, open in phases. The layout of the park might favor this approach since the coasters and big rides are mostly in "the back" of the park. Of course they would need lots of privacy fences and exciting Disney style "pardon our dust" signs for a while.

[westcoaster]

I think the coasters, maybe the kids area, and then the wet side. If any family will get it done they Koch's will and can do it.

But remember overall the park is a former shell of itself.

And you have holidayworld and beechbend close plus KI and coney.

[The Interpreter]

http://m.wdrb.com/default.aspx?pid=2705&wnfeedurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wdrb.com%2fstory%2f17510949%2fprocess-to-reopen-holiday-world-not-moving-as-quickly-as-hoped%3fclienttype%3drssstory

http://www.wfpl.org/2012/04/16/bluegrass-boardwalk-says-were-not-quite-where-wed-like-to-be/

[medford]

Maybe I will show my lack of knowledge in this area but.... why is it that when a company/family owns 1 park is can do so with a slight profit or at least no net loss (either from reinvestment or the like). But when a group tries to take on multiple parks, there begins to be losses. Why is that? What happens to the business model? Business theory would suggest that the more outlets where your goods are sold, the higher the costs but if done well the higher the income (and hopefully the profits).

I am commenting on both this situation and also FUN, CBS Parks, Paramount, Six Flags, Etc

Its been touched on, but as easily as I can explain it:

Its much easier to tend your shop when your present and active there every day.

The family that owns 1 park, and sees success, is likely successful because they are there every day, they live in the community that the park serves, they have a solid feel for what their customers like and want. They see small problems and nip them in the bud before they become large problems. They have a close relationship with the people they hire, know their families, know their struggles and dreams, know what they're good and and where they struggle.

The family that owns 2 parks, often seperated by a large distance can't be in the all parks every day or even week/month, therefor they have to hire people to manage these ventures for them. Small problems creep up and are overlooked until they become big problems, its significanly tougher to understand the markets they serve, they're not as familar with their employees, it becomes tougher to retain them, its harder to put them in position to succeed.

[sccard01]

State panel gives preliminary approval for financial incentives for Bluegrass Boardwalk

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20120425/NEWS01/304250079/State-panel-gives-preliminary-approval-financial-incentives-Bluegrass-Boardwalk

[IndyGuy4KI]

BB sets 10 year Goals

http://www.wfpl.org/2012/04/26/bluegrass-boardwalk-sets-10-year-goals/

• Goal: Open Bluegrass Boardwalk in May, 2013, with revitalized rides and water park.
  
• Provide: Safe, clean, friendly, fun experience for families, with “freebies” including free soft drinks, free sunscreen and free use of inner tubes.
  
• First year investment: $15.6 million. Additional investments will be made by Bluegrass Boardwalk, Inc., each year to ensure steady attendance growth.
  
• First year’s schedule: Open for 106 days in 2013.
  
• Destination Marketing: Staff will work with area tourism entities to create and promote destination marketing programs to ensure at least 25% of attendance will be from out of state.
  
• Projected Attendance Growth: 600,000 in 2013, growing to 782,864 in 2022.
  
• Projected Job Creation: 25 fulltime/805 seasonal in 2013, growing to 43 and 976 in 2022.
  
• Projected Payroll: $4.7 million in 2013, growing to $6.1 million in 2022.
  
• Projected State Fair Board Revenue: $880,000 in 2013, growing to $1.8 million in 2022.
  

[westcoaster]

Wow goals are great, good luck it sounds as if they are on track.

Now if they can get in there and start rehabbing rides, and all that.

GOOD LUCK!

[IndyGuy4KI]

I just hope they have enough time to do that by next May. Although, who's to say they have to have the full park opened up by opening day? I would focus on certain areas first and keep expanding out as the season goes.

[sccard01]

Bluegrass Boardwalk plans get another boost from Kentucky state government

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20120426/BUSINESS/304260106/Bluegrass-Boardwalk-plans-get-another-boost-from-Kentucky-state-government?odyssey=nav%7Chead

[KI-ORIG-EMP]

Bottom line is just as any business, it has to make a profit and if it can't, then it will remain closed. They will find it hard to attract investors if they feel that it will not be profitable. If they were to find investors and spend lots of dollars to open it only to find it can't make it, then it will be money wasted.

[sccard01]

Renovations to start next week!

[Joncars05]

Renovations to start next week!

Where did you hear that at? I haven't even heard that they have found funding for the park yet...

[sccard01]

Wdrb.com

[Oldiesmann]

More info here: http://www.wdrb.com/category/163829/fox-41-video?clipId=7049677

[Joncars05]

thanks for the link. They have so much to do in basically a year. should be interesting to see the development of the park...

[The Interpreter]

Financing in place. VERY small budget for capex and repairs for the first year:

http://www.bizjournals.com/mobile/louisville/news/2012/04/26/holiday-world-owners-make-strides-to.html

This plan really doesn't seem very realistic at all, in my opinion.

[Maverick00]

I don't see how they can plan for 10 years. The amusement industry changes so much. Geauga Lake in 1999 was a nice little park, nothing big with good size coasters, and one of four SeaWorld parks right across the lake. Who knew 8 years later it would have gone through 3 ownerships, SeaWorld would be gone with a not so bad water park in its place and Geauga Lake would be left rotting forever, including the Big Dipper which is still rotting away today.

[sccard01]

We have 1 year until the Giant Wheel will roll again with passengers.

http://www.wave3.com/story/18253891/tentative-opening-date-for-bluegrass-boardwalk

[IndyGuy4KI]

I do like the background for the logo they have! I have not see it with the blue swirly before now.

[jcgoble3]

^ From the appearance of the design behind the station logo and weather at the upper corners, I suspect that's just the same BB logo superimposed on the station's own background, probably how it appeared on screen in the TV newscast. I doubt it's actually part of the BB logo itself.

[Browntggrr]

More info on park opening in 2013:

http://www.wdrb.com/story/18304754/koch-bluegrass-boardwalk-could-open-in-may-2013

[Joncars05]

The more and more I read these linked articles and statements here under this Kentucky KIngdom post the more and more angry/disappointed I become.

Did anyone else notice that the headlines have now changed from BB WILL open May 2013 to BB COULD/MAY open May 2013...?

This park will:

A. Not open on time.

B. Not be a success.

C. Not be worth visiting if the park somehow does open in May 2013

D. Ruin the reputation of the Koch family.

They are expect to draw 5,660 people a day to this park? My question is what attractions will they have. $15 million doesn't go very far with amusement parks... $10 million got HW Mammoth and sparkler this year. If they are rehabbing rides there wont be very many that are salvageable (they have been untouched for years) all you have to do is look at the person's post from a couple of months ago to see these rides wont be reopening...

The Koch's botched this idea from the get go. I wonder what Will would've thought of this... The park was and will be run by juvenile delinquents (If it ever opens). They have absolutely (despite what Dan claims) zero rides (Atleast the major ones) there that can be saved (If they do they cannot open an entire park with one ferris wheel and a tilt-a-whirl and expect people to pay $30 to enter). They should have stuck with their bread and butter HW and not been greedy and try and open a park that struggles with the fair board along with a cruddy population pool to draw attendance from. KK is a waste of space it would be better off as an extra barn for the cows whenever the state fair comes through once a month. I still can't believe the Koch's believe that this place is salvageable... It deserves to rot just like its doing right now.

[LongLiveTheSmurfRide]

Please, tell us what you really think.

[Joncars05]

Haha yeah sorry for ranting a bit, I'm just frustrated by the whole situation ... because I really think this "business venture" into the abyss that is KK/BB could potentially harm or even ruin the gem that is known as HW. I love HW and would love to see it flourish but by just throwing $15 million in the first year just on repairs (Not counting the lease, employee expenses, and all the stuff that is included in the operation of a park) This move could potentially (in my pessimistic mind) be the end of HW and the Koch family as we know it...

[The Interpreter]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Pat Koch is not a part of this venture.

Ponder.

Ponder, indeed.

For every thing there is a reason. At least one.

[thekidd33]

I had thought (mistakenly) that the $15 million figure was what they were planning to spend on new rides and attractions, not the total investment to get the park reopened. Seems a tad...ambitious.

[The Interpreter]

Understand that under this new arrangement, during the State Fair, the fences will NOT come down and the park will NOT become a part of the State Fair midway. Rather, the park will be separately gated operating business as usual. Six Flags had asked for this and been told no for years.

[Browntggrr]

The investors have a very successful model to follow.

Predicting failure one year before the gates open is similar to predicting the weather 25 days in advance.

[The Interpreter]

So Holiday World is on leased land? Included a collection of rides not maintained for the last several years? Has a State Fair board and a collection of political types who must be pacified?

What is this successful analogous model? Visionland? Rye Playland? Playland in B.C.?

[Browntggrr]

The successful model the Kochs have been using at HW has been bringing in guests for many years. I fail to see why a guest will be influenced to attend a park purely on the notion that the park is on leased land or the other behind the scene details most are unaware of at any park.

Yet, if you give them the successful HW model: great customer service, clean park, free soft drinks, free suntan lotion etc. there is no way to predict it cannot work.