It looks like a group including Dan and Pat Koch have purchased Alabama's Splash Adventure and are adding a new kiddie coaster this year. Looks like it didn't take him too long to get over the Holiday World verdict.

http://www.splashadventurewaterpark.com

Interesting news...Is there a press release some where?

Strangely I haven't found one. It seems odd that there wouldn't be though.

That is interesting... no press release or anything. Nothing in the news so to speak either. All it says on the website is that Dan Koch and the family bought it in March... A quiet acquisition. Hmm.

That is most certainly interesting news. I guess Dan is no longer active with his legal career. I wonder if they will keep this park mostly a water park, or attempt to add some amusement park attractions to it in the coming years.

Well, this whole thing just took a REALLY weird turn.

Why on earth is Pat joining Dan in anything, apart from the fact that he's her son? Why is this venture one she's joining in, but she didn't have anything to do with Kentucky Kingdom?

EDIT: Now that I'm able to check the website: I don't see Pat's name or face anywhere. The front banner shows Dan and Natalie Koch; the FAQ lists the owners as Dan and "Koch Family Parks".

The website now lists 5 new kiddie attractions for 2014 instead of just the coaster.

Found an article:

http://blog.al.com/press-releases/2014/03/splash_adventure_waterpark_pur.html

Although very many of the rides have been removed, I would be ecstatic to see the dry-park return, with the amount of potential it has.

I miss Rampage.

Fine coaster it was.

Indeed it was, which is another reason why I wish that I would've stopped in at the park in 2011 when I was in the area.

....I'm glad to have gotten to at least drive by the park on that day in 2011 and see the rides operating for that final time.

I planned on returning in 2012 to go to the park......Little did I know.....

Well, this is weird. So Dan Koch & Co. gave up the Bluegrass Boardwalk plan, lost control of Holiday World to Lori Koch, and just when you think they are gone...they return and now own Alabama Adventure!?!?

One thing I hope happens- since it is still listed as SBNO on every site I checked- is the return of the Rampage CCI wooden coaster. It's been SBNO since 2011, but wooden coasters have come back from longer dormant peroids (Thunder Run @ Kentucky Kingdom for one example) and ran again. And surely a Koch who was with Holiday World for so long knows what a good CCI woodie can do for a park...I don't think it'll happen in 2014 though, as it would probably be too much work refurbishing Rampage so soon, but a 2015 return of the woodie is possible...

Dan would presumably still be leading Holiday World, albeit with 40% ownership, had he not (per the Indiana Court of Appeals) acted in bad faith to enforce a buy/sell agreement. Lori Koch hired him to lead Holiday World after Will Koch's untimely death. She fired him after a trial court ruled in her favor, leaving majority control with her.

He seemed quite passionate about the amusement industry, so it's good to see him active in it again.

My goodness what a quick turn of events, smart though they will own the park and land compared with the Blue Grass Boardwalk mess. Hopefully the park works out for the family.

Dan would presumably still be leading Holiday World, albeit with 40% ownership, had he not (per the Indiana Court of Appeals) acted in bad faith to enforce a buy/sell agreement. Lori Koch hired him to lead Holiday World after Will Koch's untimely death. She fired him after a trial court ruled in her favor, leaving majority control with her.

He seemed quite passionate about the amusement industry, so it's good to see him active in it again.

True- it'll be interesting to see how Dan Koch and co. run Alabama Adventure...will it be like Holiday World under his ownership (which was basically the same as Will Koch's management of the park) or different? So far, looks pretty similar to Holiday World...

Not to mention it'll be very interesting to see how both parks are managed, since technically this is a tragic "break-up" of the family that made Holiday World what it is. Will Lori Koch & co. change things at Holiday World, while Dan does what HW used to do at AA? Or the opposite? Or will both try to be like the Holiday World of old? Or will neither? So many ways it can go...

This link was posted on Screamscape today:

http://www.alabamas13.com/story/24977682/splash-adventure-water-park-in-bessemer-under-new-ownership

I love Dan Koch's enthusiasm! Someday, since I have a good feeling that the park will succeed this time, I will have to make a visit there. More than Holiday World for some reason.

I was under the impression that the plan was only to focus on making a great water-park..... But after reading Dan Koch's Twitter page today.......

.....I'm glad I was wrong.......

A series of tweets about the Rampage roller coaster told me otherwise......

@SplashinDan on Twitter :

"Wicked finish into the station on Rampage! Whoa!"

"Complete re-track needed. Coaster cats! We call it like we see it! Where is my hammer?"

"Trains need TLC too! We can get this animal going. Stay tuned. Not opening soon but it will open."

"Rampage is very fixable. Need a chain gang to emmm fix the chain!"

"I love Rampaggggeeee!!!!!!!!"

All of the photos and tweets above belong to Dan Koch and were found on his Twitter page.

All of the photos and above can be found here.

I've heard pretty good things about the ride, hopefully Dan is able to bring the dry side back to life.

Coaster looks fantastic in this POV..CCI Designed ride makes me wonder a bit, but one of the key designers is now at GCI which is fantastic..The other deals with highway engineering, which is disappointing. Sad though this has a limited capacity, such a cool looking twister

YES! It is always awesome to hear when a great roller coaster that has been SBNO for a few years or more, instead of getting destroyed, is instead repaired and re-opened. Rampage will need a lot of work, but it can be done, and once opened it will give them a solid wooden coaster once again- something the Koch family clearly values based on what I've seen from them at Holiday World.

So far, I am liking what Dan Koch and co. have brought to this park.

PS: Also based on what Holiday World used to do, I would expect Alabama Adventure to get some new waterslides in the near future as well, since in addition to wood coasters they love their waterpark attractions.

I'm really happy to see Dan back in the industry because he clearly has a passion for it. I didn't necessarily like what was happening to Holiday World under him (you could see a change in employee morale if you were a regular visitor, as well as prices jumping by leaps and bounds, especially on food) but I think in his own park he'd do great. My dislike of the Holiday World situation I think was just because he was taking something that ran a certain way and changing it to his way. With a clean slate and a blank drawing board, I think Alabama Adventure will end up doing very well. I doubt it will be the "Holiday World of the South" as a lot of people seem to be expecting, because Dan isn't Will and didn't run things the same way Will did. That being said, I think Dan does appreciate a good wooden coaster (especially a CCI) and I can't wait to see Rampage up and running again. I'll be very happy to finally get that credit, and I know a Koch will make sure it's well cared for and will run beautifully. I also think he's going the right direction in focusing on making it a family-friendly park, because that's where the crowds come from for smaller parks like that.

Overall, I'm just really excited for this news and I think that this park will be a much better fit for Dan than Holiday World.

@SplashinDan on Twitter :

"Free pirate ship. Prefers outdoors. Well behaved."

Photo : Dan Koch via Twitter

I'm not really sure whether Dan is hinting that they want to sell the Pirate Ship or whether they are just glad to have it....?

Splash Adventure Waterpark on Facebook :

"Re-tracking work on Rampage began yesterday!!"

Photo : Dan Koch / Splash Adventure Waterpark via Facebook

.....On another note......

Rampage's trains were sent out to the PTC shop on Monday.....

(Photo's : Dan Koch / Splash Adventure Waterpark via Facebook)

To a great restoration/ Reopening, good news always:

Good news. Nothing warms my heart like a Coaster Comeback.

Especially THAT coaster. A coaster I always vastly preferred to Shivering Timbers...or Voyage.

@SplashinDan on Twitter earlier today :

3 Rampage roller coaster updates throughout the day :

"Our critical path is the chain/sprocket. Ordered from John King England. 600 feet of chain 60,000 pounds."

"14 men working 60 hours a week. Race to the finish all you coaster crazies!"

"Rampage will not open until August at the earliest you coaster crazies! This isn't extreme makeover with us cutting corners!"

A late summer/early fall trip to Alabama just got added to the Terp list of considerations.

Is that part of Alabama far enough south to be a year round venture?

It hasn't been in the past. Even Six Flags Over Georgia closes for the winter.