Friday, January 12, 2007

Kentucky Kingdom starts work on water ride

UPDATED: 2:46 PM

Kentucky Kingdom starts work on water ride

By Alex Davis

alexdavis@courier-journal.com

The Courier-Journal

Construction is underway on a new water ride and other features at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, and details about the changes will be unveiled Jan. 26.

Jay Thomas, the park’s president, said in an interview Friday that he felt confident about the future of the Louisville amusement park. Six Flags announced earlier this week that it would sell seven of its 30 parks for $312 million as part of an effort to reduce debt.

Thomas said that Kentucky Kingdom, which the company is keeping, benefits from a loyal following of season pass holders and other visitors. Season passes will cost $49.99 this year.

The new water ride is expected to be ready by Memorial Day. It will be part of a rechristened water park called Splashwater Kingdom that park officais have previously described as the largest investment in the amusement park’s 17-year history.

The new park will be 10 percent to 15 percent larger than the old area known as Hurricane Bay. Kentucky Kingdom also is adding new features for children, private cabanas that can be rented by guests and more shaded rest areas.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.d...mplate=printart

Well it just seems that waterparks are becoming all the rage with the families: Will all water rides soon just be in the water park? Look to Noaha's arc park and they have something like Kings Islands congo falls inside there water park. And there are water parks out there becoming so massively big!

Wow might be worth a trip to Louisville this year:

love the name though:

If they're saying that the water park expansion is the biggest investment in the park's 17-year history, it must really be something! Their B&M Standup, Chang (1997), sure wasn't cheap.

During the fall conference call, Mr. Mark Shapiro announced that the centerpiece of the rehabbed waterpark would be a new, unique water ride not seen elsewhere in North America.