Kentucky Kingdom

[jcgoble3]

Dude we get it. You want KK to make it. You believe the rest of us dont.

To expand on what shark6495 said there, you (sccard01) need to understand that wanting KK to succeed and believing that they will succeed are two completely different things. I want KK to succeed. Most of us probably do. But just because we want the park to succeed does not mean that they will. We're being realists here. We want them to succeed, but the evidence says otherwise. Realistically, the severe undercapitalization of future years, lack of marketing, and other factors suggest, when not viewed through rose-colored glasses, that KK is likely to fail after a few years unless drastic changes occur.

Being an optimist is great, but even optimism needs to be grounded in realism.

[shark6495]

Heck, I am pretty sure many in this thread who dont think the park has a great future, have even said that they will be going to the park!

[BloodBlade21]

Dude we get it. You want KK to make it. You believe the rest of us dont.

To expand on what shark6495 said there, you (sccard01) need to understand that wanting KK to succeed and believing that they will succeed are two completely different things. I want KK to succeed. Most of us probably do. But just because we want the park to succeed does not mean that they will. We're being realists here. We want them to succeed, but the evidence says otherwise. Realistically, the severe undercapitalization of future years, lack of marketing, and other factors suggest, when not viewed through rose-colored glasses, that KK is likely to fail after a few years unless drastic changes occur.

Being an optimist is great, but even optimism needs to be grounded in realism.

Well put jcgoble3. Everyone wants KK to succeed but not at the risk of taxpayers. If private companies (with all their data and spreadsheets that we don't have access to) don't believe KK to be a viable location for a theme park then why should we?

[LoraX]

I find it funny. I did not see where people say they want to have the park fail. What I see is people wanting the park to succeed and questioning why things are not done to boost up the excitement to help with success of the park.

I personally want KK to succeed. I have many years of wonderful memories. Truth be told, I had a season pass many years. I did not get a season pass for KI until Cedar Fair bought the park. While I loved the rides at KI and would go many times each season (I have friends who would buy me tickets for my birthday or the kids birthdays or because they knew I could show them around the park when others could not.) Kings Island always seemed dirty, staff was unhelpful. Cedar Fair has consistently improved on all fronts from cleanliness to staff being much more customer focused and management is very visible. I cannot say how much more I love Kings Island now.

My thoughts regarding KK stem from seeing it go through ups and downs for the years it was open. I've waited patiently and hoping the park would reopen for years. I really hoped the Koch family would have opened the park. I think it would have done amazing had they took ownership. That is just my own opinion from my experience at Holiday World. I've been to that park only a few times, but each time, they delivered great customer service. I saw owners walking around picking up trash and starting conversations with people. While I know that family has experienced a lot of family turmoil, I really see them backing out as a sign that the forecasting to have a successful park would not be worth the gamble or investment.

Looking at the taxpayers having to help fund the park is a huge negative in my opinion. It's less of a gamble on a company or individual since the Commonwealth is backing it up. I truly think if this was a viable long term park grand reopening, banks or investors would be readily available to throw in financial support. I love amusement parks, but see where tax payer dollars given to the government could be put to better use.

The difference now than ever before is the huge abundance of free media there is to roll out announcements. Announcements in the middle of the night seem odd at best. Again, there is not an individual or company to have that drive to go the extra mile to pump this up more.

Even if they felt social media is cheesy or just a fad, it's peculiar to not use it. If it were my park, I would do things so very different.

The one negative I had then and still do is paying for parking. I understand both now and then it is on property owned by the State Fair.

I see having any drop ride in the park as a bad move. People don't pay attention to it being the same or different ride, just that it's a drop ride at this park.

I struggle with believing Banshee was not being mentioned in the Louisville area. Indianapolis is about the same distance and we don't have a competing park in the area and it's been on the news here.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Youthere]

Dude we get it. You want KK to make it. You believe the rest of us dont.

To expand on what shark6495 said there, you (sccard01) need to understand that wanting KK to succeed and believing that they will succeed are two completely different things. I want KK to succeed. Most of us probably do. But just because we want the park to succeed does not mean that they will. We're being realists here. We want them to succeed, but the evidence says otherwise. Realistically, the severe undercapitalization of future years, lack of marketing, and other factors suggest, when not viewed through rose-colored glasses, that KK is likely to fail after a few years unless drastic changes occur.

Being an optimist is great, but even optimism needs to be grounded in realism.

Well put jcgoble3. Everyone wants KK to succeed but not at the risk of taxpayers. If private companies (with all their data and spreadsheets that we don't have access to) don't believe KK to be a viable location for a theme park then why should we?

I don't really understand the comments regarding tax payers. The park was in the works to be demolished and turned into a parking lot that I, as a taxpayer, would have to pay a tremendous amount for them to make this happen. The park will generate, not only jobs for the people of Louisville, hopefully including me, while a parking lot would not, but it will also help boost the economy of businesses surrounding the park- hotels, restaurants, other area attractions, etc.

Do any of you even live close enough to be taxpayers that would be affected by the park? Either way the tax payers are affected, but at least when the park opens we receive something in return.

[shark6495]

Some do live close enough. The way I understand this entire thing is, if the park goes bankrupt then the bank will take the land and it will not be tax payer land again.... Hence the reason it is being used as collateral for the loan...

[jcgoble3]

I don't really understand the comments regarding tax payers. The park was in the works to be demolished and turned into a parking lot that I, as a taxpayer, would have to pay a tremendous amount for them to make this happen. The park will generate, not only jobs for the people of Louisville, hopefully including me, while a parking lot would not, but it will also help boost the economy of businesses surrounding the park- hotels, restaurants, other area attractions, etc.

Do any of you even live close enough to be taxpayers that would be affected by the park? Either way the tax payers are affected, but at least when the park opens we receive something in return.

...and if and when the park fails, as it is likely to do, and defaults on its loans, as it is likely to do, the bank gets the collateral, which is the land on which Kentucky Kingdom sits, which is currently owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and, by extension, the taxpayers. So yes, if/when the park fails, the taxpayers lose. Big.

[RollerNut]

If the Koch family had taken over KK, it would have been the next Geauga Lake in my own opinion.

[BloodBlade21]

Dude we get it. You want KK to make it. You believe the rest of us dont.

To expand on what shark6495 said there, you (sccard01) need to understand that wanting KK to succeed and believing that they will succeed are two completely different things. I want KK to succeed. Most of us probably do. But just because we want the park to succeed does not mean that they will. We're being realists here. We want them to succeed, but the evidence says otherwise. Realistically, the severe undercapitalization of future years, lack of marketing, and other factors suggest, when not viewed through rose-colored glasses, that KK is likely to fail after a few years unless drastic changes occur.

Being an optimist is great, but even optimism needs to be grounded in realism.

Well put jcgoble3. Everyone wants KK to succeed but not at the risk of taxpayers. If private companies (with all their data and spreadsheets that we don't have access to) don't believe KK to be a viable location for a theme park then why should we?

I don't really understand the comments regarding tax payers. The park was in the works to be demolished and turned into a parking lot that I, as a taxpayer, would have to pay a tremendous amount for them to make this happen. The park will generate, not only jobs for the people of Louisville, hopefully including me, while a parking lot would not, but it will also help boost the economy of businesses surrounding the park- hotels, restaurants, other area attractions, etc.

Do any of you even live close enough to be taxpayers that would be affected by the park? Either way the tax payers are affected, but at least when the park opens we receive something in return.

Yes it would've cost money to turn the land into a parking lot but the cost of doing so is a specific amount while funding for a theme park is anything but specific. Aside from the initial funding that Mr. Hart wants, he will inevitably come back to govt. for more money if the park falls on hard times. You have to remember that once govt. starts a project, it will continue to fund it even if the project loses popularity or becomes a money pit. For example, politicians in Cincinnati ran on the promise of stopping the streetcar project but after reaching office decided to leave it in place even though it will be a money pit because of the cost of abandoning the project.

[RollerNut]

Ghost Town In The Sky is a money pit but yet the park limps along. The former owner kept asking for money and even popularity in community, the local government stopped. Maggie Valley, NC without Ghost Town is like Myrtle Beach, SC without the beach. A real ghost town...

[Youthere]

I don't really understand the comments regarding tax payers. The park was in the works to be demolished and turned into a parking lot that I, as a taxpayer, would have to pay a tremendous amount for them to make this happen. The park will generate, not only jobs for the people of Louisville, hopefully including me, while a parking lot would not, but it will also help boost the economy of businesses surrounding the park- hotels, restaurants, other area attractions, etc.

Do any of you even live close enough to be taxpayers that would be affected by the park? Either way the tax payers are affected, but at least when the park opens we receive something in return.

...and if and when the park fails, as it is likely to do, and defaults on its loans, as it is likely to do, the bank gets the collateral, which is the land on which Kentucky Kingdom sits, which is currently owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and, by extension, the taxpayers. So yes, if/when the park fails, the taxpayers lose. Big.

You obviously have some sort of hatred for the park that fuels your biased comments.

If Holiday world had taken over Kentucky Kingdom there's no way it would have succeeded. Holiday World has no interest other than Holiday World, they wouldn't have spent enough money on another park to make it work.

The state fair is already a money pit for the state, it's the same rehashed event over and over.

[jcgoble3]

Youthere, you need to read this post that I directed at sccard01. It applies equally to you.

Dude we get it. You want KK to make it. You believe the rest of us dont.

To expand on what shark6495 said there, you (sccard01) need to understand that wanting KK to succeed and believing that they will succeed are two completely different things. I want KK to succeed. Most of us probably do. But just because we want the park to succeed does not mean that they will. We're being realists here. We want them to succeed, but the evidence says otherwise. Realistically, the severe undercapitalization of future years, lack of marketing, and other factors suggest, when not viewed through rose-colored glasses, that KK is likely to fail after a few years unless drastic changes occur.

Being an optimist is great, but even optimism needs to be grounded in realism.

Now try to explain how I have "hatred" for the park. Hint: I don't. My hatred for the park exists only in your imagination.

As for being biased, my comments are grounded in facts that anyone can see if they only choose to open their eyes. Your comments are pure opinion and fanboyism, blindly arguing that the park will succeed and refusing to consider any other possibility. I suggest you reconsider who is "biased" here. Hint #2: It's not me.

[BB1]

If ye has never noticed, this is the place whar flame wars doth reside.

BB1, who will just stay peachy, not corny.

[BeastForever]

Hmmm, if most of us are KK-Realists, does that make the people who fully believe that KK will succeed KK-Romantics?

But what about people who only think KK will succeed if the forces of nature let it (no tornados or horrible storms to destroy the park)? Does that make them KK-Naturalists?

Apparently, I've paid good attention in English class so far this year...

[The Interpreter]

And what of people whose very paycheck comes from Kentucky Kingdom, who must hope and pray it works this time? I do know one thing. The park business is a very small world. I'd not be reckless in making statements about the Kochs and other parts of the industry while feeling safe as Mr. Hart has done so. Mr. Hart has the film industry, politicians, investments and countless millions to fall back on. Most in his employ, do not.

The business has a very long memory.

Finally, Holiday World is a registered trademark. Both of its component words should always be capitalized, especially by such an esteemed industry colleague.

[RailRider]

Hello Pot, this is Kettle calling...

A few days of not checking this forum and it has gotten a bit interesting. I love the off season.

Rather than reply to so many numerous and amusing posts let me just make a simple statement.

2 things for the sake of the New Kentucky Kingdom. I have always said I hope they do well, although I strongly believe in a few years they will be in the same boat again. The reasons for this have been well stated throughout this forum.

Secondly for the sake of the New Kentucky Kingdom I hope that neither of the 2 "fanboys" (I use this term lovingly) are on the marketing/promotions payroll of the park. Not because I don't want you to have a job, but that I would be even more concerned about the parks future if they are employing individuals who obviously have no understanding of the industry, marketing/promotions tactics, and knowledge of Kentucky Kingdoms past. A blindingly ignorant mouthpiece for the park will have zero effect in so called Consumer Buzz Monitoring tactics on a "Fanboy" site like this. Please bring a well conceived and constructed argument next time...

Now I must run, the Kettle is calling...

[FoF96"]

^ I don't think you are referring to me but I didn't see a second "fanboy" so just checking in. And just to make my stance clear, would I like the park to succeed? Yes. Will it be a battle? Yes.

And also got back from second interview, they said they will be making hiring decisions off of this one, wish me luck!

[jcgoble3]

^ I believe the "fanboys" to which he refers are sccard01 and Youthere.

[The Interpreter]

I'd already sent a PM saying perzactly the same thing.

[BB1]

Youthere, sounds like YoungStud if you ask me.

BB1, just being corny

KK has some major problems, and some major perks in the area, both sides have valid arguments which I would have to agree. Yet I still would like to remind you that this is the off season, and an conclusion now is just premature and childish for me. Therefore, under those circumstances, I do believe that those who are silent now, or periodically partake in this locus, are treading good ethos in the matter with discussing both sides before such an idea of yes or no of what is to come. Though, do not shut down the opposition automatically, nor name call the opposition, that just makes you look stultus; instead take in the idea, and work it for your idea, or bring up a few ideas and discuss, the reason why forums are forums.

BB1, quantum igitur ad medium iter

[The Interpreter]

Sheesh. My head hurts.

If you can't bedazzle them with brilliance, befuddle them with bullpoop?

Are you a politician?

[BB1]

No, just your average rhetor.

[faeriewench]

Heck, I am pretty sure many in this thread who dont think the park has a great future, have even said that they will be going to the park!

I'm one of those people. At least once.

[RollerNut]

Kentucky Kingdom failed once, rose from the ashes and was successful once. Is the business plan risky, yes. Will history repeat for Kentucku Kingdom again, yes. Whether, Ed Hart's plan fails and the park closes or the plan goes well and he sells it for more than the put into it. History will most likely repeat, it just wont ever be a Six Flags park again.

With great risk, comes great reward especially with someone else's money. Atleast two of our great Cedar Fair park was a failure once. It just never closed, heck one was at risk of being brought by the state and bulldozed.

[RideOnKI]

I live about 5 minutes north of Louisville....... no Banshee coverage here folks. But I really do hope Kentucky Kingdom opens up here soon..........

[RailRider]

^ I believe the "fanboys" to which he refers are sccard01 and Youthere.

This would be an accurate statement.

[Youthere]

Hello Pot, this is Kettle calling...

A few days of not checking this forum and it has gotten a bit interesting. I love the off season.

Rather than reply to so many numerous and amusing posts let me just make a simple statement.

2 things for the sake of the New Kentucky Kingdom. I have always said I hope they do well, although I strongly believe in a few years they will be in the same boat again. The reasons for this have been well stated throughout this forum.

Secondly for the sake of the New Kentucky Kingdom I hope that neither of the 2 "fanboys" (I use this term lovingly) are on the marketing/promotions payroll of the park. Not because I don't want you to have a job, but that I would be even more concerned about the parks future if they are employing individuals who obviously have no understanding of the industry, marketing/promotions tactics, and knowledge of Kentucky Kingdoms past. A blindingly ignorant mouthpiece for the park will have zero effect in so called Consumer Buzz Monitoring tactics on a "Fanboy" site like this. Please bring a well conceived and constructed argument next time...

Now I must run, the Kettle is calling...

So because I'm speaking up for a park that I grew up with and had fond memories of the people that were apart of making it a success, my friends, you assume that I work there...

You all have been nothing but doubtful and pessimistic about every little detail going on with the park. I have faith that these people will successfully open the park and keep it running for many years to come. If you don't feel the same way, then so be it, I really could care less anymore. None of these posts even matter, it's just pointless drama. I'm done with this thread, just carry on bashing me...

[shark6495]

Youthere, sounds like YoungStud if you ask me.

BB1, just being corny

KK has some major problems, and some major perks in the area, both sides have valid arguments which I would have to agree. Yet I still would like to remind you that this is the off season, and an conclusion now is just premature and childish for me. Therefore, under those circumstances, I do believe that those who are silent now, or periodically partake in this locus, are treading good ethos in the matter with discussing both sides before such an idea of yes or no of what is to come. Though, do not shut down the opposition automatically, nor name call the opposition, that just makes you look stultus; instead take in the idea, and work it for your idea, or bring up a few ideas and discuss, the reason why forums are forums.

BB1, quantum igitur ad medium iter

Sheesh. My head hurts.

If you can't bedazzle them with brilliance, befuddle them with bullpoop?

Are you a politician?

Me thinks BB1 bought himself a thesaurus!

[jcgoble3]

So because I'm speaking up for a park that I grew up with and had fond memories of the people that were apart of making it a success, my friends, you assume that I work there...

You all have been nothing but doubtful and pessimistic about every little detail going on with the park. I have faith that these people will successfully open the park and keep it running for many years to come. If you don't feel the same way, then so be it, I really could care less anymore. None of these posts even matter, it's just pointless drama. I'm done with this thread, just carry on bashing me...

1. We're being doubtful? Yes we are, and for good reason. I will not repeat those reasons again, for they have been stated in this thread numerous times in the past several months.

2. We're being pessimistic? No. We're being realists.

3. On what evidence do you base this "faith"? Or are you simply ignoring the evidence?

4. If you "could care less", then you do care some.

[The Interpreter]

And a non-denial denial. As has been said again and again, KingsIslandPR fully discloses when he posts here. But then again, he reflects great credit on Kings Island and Cedar Fair with his actions, words, marketing and photos.