Kentucky Kingdom Closure and Relocation Thread

[david]

I've met and talked to Hank Salemi, I don't go around obsessing about it. hahhaah!

But I would be proud that I had a say in it, but I wouldn't hold on to it for dear life and never let go.

[david]

The Kentucky State Fair Board has taken the next step toward reopening Kentucky Kingdom by settling a property dispute with the amusement park’s former owner, Six Flags Inc.
At its regular monthly meeting held yesterday, the fair board approved a master settlement agreement with the park operator’s new management.
The settlement could smooth the way for a deal with a new operator that could reopen the popular attraction and major summer employer.
The agreement calls for Six Flags to turn over the nearly 20 acres it owns at the 60-acre Kentucky Kingdom and all but one of the park’s rides to the fair board.
The fair board also would receive all furniture, fixtures and equipment associated with the park, as well as all intellectual property, such as the rides’ names.
In exchange, Six Flags would get $2.35 million and would be relieved of a tax debt to the state that totals close to $2.5 million. Also, $2.8 million in rent payments due to the fair board would be forgiven.
The park operator also would be allowed to remove one ride, the Road Runner Express coaster, and take it to another of its venues.
Harold Workman, fair board president and CEO, called the agreement with Six Flags “amicable.”
“We’re very pleased with it,” he said. “It’s been obviously a long road to get to this point. Both sides have worked very diligently to craft something that was fair to both entities.”
Closing announced in February
Workman said the agreement still requires the approval of a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge in Delaware. He is hopeful that ruling would come by the end of August.
Six Flags filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware in June 2009 and emerged with a new ownership structure in May, taking the name Six Flags Entertainment Corp.
The company’s bankruptcy case is not yet closed.
Six Flags announced in February that it was walking away from its lease at the Kentucky Exposition Center and closing Kentucky Kingdom.
Officials with the amusement park company, now based in Dallas, could not be reached for comment before Business First’s press deadline.
Negotiations continue with Ed Hart group
Workman said the agreement with Six Flags allows the fair board to continue negotiations with KK Redevelopment Co., an investment group that wants to reopen and manage Kentucky Kingdom.
KK Redevelopment is led by Louisville businessman Ed Hart, who owned and operated the amusement park from 1990 to 1997.
The fair board yesterday approved a motion to keep working toward a lease agreement with Hart’s company. It set an October deadline.
Workman said the goal is for a deal to be discussed at the fair board’s Oct. 28 meeting. Negotiations with Hart began in earnest in May.
Workman said the fair board and Hart are “deep into discussions” about a lease deal, but he could provide no details because they still are preliminary.
Hart characterized the talks as “very positive” during an interview this week.


Read more: Fair board strikes deal for Kentucky Kingdom property - Business First of Louisville

http://louisville.bizjournals.com/louis ... 1280116800^3696121

Looks like another TDK is in the works. It also mentions that Six Flags will take ANOTHER attraction, so Maybe we can get Greezed Lightning back? please? PLEASE?

[acquaz10]

No read the article correctly. It says that Ed Hart is moving Road Runner Express to another one of his parks in his chain. The only thing Six Flags is getting is Chang and money.

[scipiomask]

CoasterFusion's latest rumor is that quite a few of Kentucky Kingdom's flats are heading towards Great Adventure. This doesn't make much sense to me, but CoasterFusion was the one who brought GASM's removal to general knowledge.

[Ilovthevu']

^^^I don't think the article is written correctly in that sentence. It doesn't say current operator, and it doesn't former operator in regards to taking that ride. Why would it make sense at this time for Ed Hart to take a ride out of that park, and put it another of his parks? He has more parks? The park doesn't have Chang anymore, and that's a lot of room of empty space now. And David, it only says one ride, and not 2 rides - Road Runner Express and that's it (whoever is going to get it). If Ed Hart says that they are going to keep only the second half of the park, why not just move the mouse coaster into Chang's area? Maybe, the guy doesn't want it, and is happy to give it to Six Flags because the front of the park this guy isn't keeping anyway.

I really doubt this new management is dumb enough to do another Dark Knight themed mouse coaster even though they could put a mouse coaster somewhere. The thing with the SFKK moving flats to Great Adventure, I see that as it's possible. As I said Ed Hart doesn't care about the first part of the park, and you have the Orbit, a River Rocker type of ride, Antique Cars, Breakdance (I think this on the first side of the park), and a Reverchon Himilaya in which Six Flags might want to buy.

[acquaz10]

Hart isn't keeping the front of his park. David I apologize. That article was written poorly. It doesn't make it clear on who's getting Road Runner Express.

ilovethevu - I don't think they would do another Dark Knight but just a standard mouse. Probably keep the theme also. I heard it has some decent theming in the queue and station.

[monsterfan99]

^The queue line is not bad at all. It's nothing to go nuts over, but provides something to look at.

[sccard01]

I really doubt this new management is dumb enough to do another Dark Knight themed mouse coaster even though they could put a mouse coaster somewhere. The thing with the SFKK moving flats to Great Adventure, I see that as it's possible. As I said Ed Hart doesn't care about the first part of the park, and you have the Orbit, a River Rocker type of ride, Antique Cars, Breakdance (I think this on the first side of the park), and a Reverchon Himilaya in which Six Flags might want to buy.

Ed hart do care about the front of the park. The front of the park has all the flats, their is only 2 flats on the larger side which is The Zepplin (which has been closed for 3 seasons), and The Flying Dutchman. On the side which will not open next season has the Bumper Cars, Enterprise, Himilaya, Breakdance, Pirate Ship, Antique Cars, Greezed Lighting, Thrill Park Theatre, and also The Kids areas and midways games.

The reason why Ed is no-longer running the smaller side is because he said he doesn't like the park being split in two!, also he doesn't like guest crossing the bridge.

I don't see any flats going to Great Adventure. Most of these rides will be relocated in the park like the kids rides to the new kids area next season and also breakdance. Some rides like the Thrill Park Theatre and Enterprise may not make it.

[monsterfan99]

^If the bridge is the issue, except the park to be water park only soon. T2 and Thunder Run are not going to get people to come to the dry park. The same can be said for every flat ride there as well if moved.

[sccard01]

the park isn't going to be only waterpark. stop comparing this park to geauga lake! their a big differance. Many people attend to go to the amusment side late a night. Six Flags closed Kentucky Kingdom early and no one had the Chance to ride any of the rides. They closed the park the same time as the Water park at 7 and 8pm on Saturdays.

[acquaz10]

Geauga Lake hasn't really been mentioned here. Why are you being a major fanboy. Its imminent that it's water park only with maybe a few rides opened. The water park is where its going to be successful. You said people didn't have a chance to ride the rides. Yes they did, they just didn't want to. Who's going to want to ride a crappy SLC and some run down woodies?

[sccard01]

waterpark only? geauge lake dummie. I'm just getting the record straight because most of you all don't go to Kentucky Kingdom reguarly, some of you, or most, never been!

The waterpark is just being turning into your average waterpark size and it should be the last espansion for a while, then he will focus on the dry side in 2012. Every morning when I worked at the Park, many people RAN their asses accross the bridge to the waterpark to get a chair. No one cared about the rides because it was the same rides as last time they were at the park 10 years ago! The amsuement park is just lacking attractions, so no one really like to ride the rides. When Hellavator and rainbow was removed, the front side suffered.Also Twisted Twins and Mile High Falls not being open for the past 3 years made it worst for the amusment park.

[FParker185]

Six Flags is keeping chang, is getting Road Runner Express to be sent to another SF park, along with a little over 2 million bucks, and something like 5 million bucks worth of tax and rent forgiveness. Also any land that SF owns/owned is being turned over to the fairboard.

[monsterfan99]

waterpark only? geauge lake dummie. I'm just getting the record straight because most of you all don't go to Kentucky Kingdom reguarly, some of you, or most, never been!

The waterpark is just being turning into your average waterpark size and it should be the last espansion for a while, then he will focus on the dry side in 2012. Every morning when I worked at the Park, many people RAN their asses accross the bridge to the waterpark to get a chair. No one cared about the rides because it was the same rides as last time they were at the park 10 years ago! The amsuement park is just lacking attractions, so no one really like to ride the rides. When Hellavator and rainbow was removed, the front side suffered.Also Twisted Twins and Mile High Falls not being open for the past 3 years made it worst for the amusment park.

Actually, you are showing yourself to be a fanboy more then anything. SFKK is like so many parks where the dry park is used only as a time filler until the water park is opened. The same thing happens at Holiday World, Alabama Adventure, SF Great America and many others with a free water park. The draw is the water park and there are no 2 ways about it. Only different between those parks and SFKK is they make money while SFKK does not.

And you say no one cared about the rides as they were the same from 10 years ago. That might be the single dumbest thing said on here. People were paying to go to the water park and skipping the free amusement park that is attached. If you have an amazing product, people ride it for years to come. The fact is the park had rides that were never good to begin with (minus Chang) and did not age well.

The main this is why go to SFKK when you have 2 parks (Kings Island and Holiday World) that are miles better with a few hours? Besides Chang, the park has nothing you can't find at the other parks in some way. I went for 4 hours and would never go back even if I was a local. It offers nothing worth a SP plus $4-$7 parking each visit.

[Ilovthevu']

^Park filler for SFGAm, no way. Escape the really long lines in the regular park by going to the waterpark. I haven't waited for anything more than 25 minutes in the waterpark. The same can in no way can be said for the regular park. Granted though, I must say that I don't visit the park on 90 plus days as the waterpark probably actually will be filled to capacity. If you are ever unsure if Six Flags is telling you the truth about the waterpark being filled (They have fooled me some times when saying capacity is getting bad, blah, blah), check the grayish box right before you exit through the turnstyles. It says how many people have left, and how many people are in the park at a given time. I think capacity is 7100, so judge that box on the 7100 number. It could be 7400 though, but I think it's 7100. Seriously, they were announcing to get in the waterpark before you can't get in, and the number was about half of that, maybe it was about 3400 people in the waterpark.

For Holiday World, really the park isn't that special of a park alone without the waterpark. Coaster enthusiasts make it well known because of those wooden roller coasters, but looking at the regular park, I see a Kiddieland with some wooden roller coasters. I'm not knocking Kiddieland though, but Kiddieland is no Great America. No one cared when Kiddieland was around to always say the thing about cheap food, FREE parking, and FREE drinks. You put some major wooden roller coasters that enthusiasts love, and automatic praise for a more kiddie park of Holiday World.

[BP317]

I've met and talked to Hank Salemi, I don't go around obsessing about it. hahhaah!

One thing that really gets me angry though, is when I say hello to an employee and they simply stare at me. I would then say, "I know Hank Salemi."

[sccard01]

Kentucky Kingdoms rides are in bad shape and have been rusting since Ed Left in 1997. I guess the STOP accident many rides had an affect on the guess riding rides. Six Flags should of repainted the rides are what ever to show that the rides are safe and had TLC. The only rides that have been repainted has been Breakdance and Rainbow. Everything else is rusted with paint peeling.

Holiday World to me... It really isn't good as you think. Its fun but it isnt a thrill park. The only thing their is the major waterpark and the voyage and legend and its a value park. Free Drinks, pizza 2 or 3 dollers, funnel cakes are the same! It just more of a family park.

And your right the park has nonthing nomore other parks don't have! We used to be the park that had attractions other parks didn't have. We were the first to offer many types of rides in the u.s. that other parks didn't have like Intinmen Drop Tower, Vekcoma Giant Wheel, SLC Coaster, Dueling Coaster, Hopkins Ride (huger splash), and a Vekoma Waikiki Wave!

[david]

[quote="sccard01"]Kentucky Kingdoms rides are in bad shape and have been rusting since Ed Left in 1997. I guess the STOP accident many rides had an affect on the guess riding rides. Six Flags should of repainted the rides are what ever to show that the rides are safe and had TLC. The only rides that have been repainted has been Breakdance and Rainbow. Everything else is rusted with paint peeling.

Oh yeah, Six Flags didn't paint anything, they only attempted to re-theme T2 and Chang, and then re-painted Chang twice, not to mention T2 got painted.

Those are all I know, but why do you guys always make it out that Six Flags destroyed the park? The park was not profitable, ever. You can't blame Six Flags for not adding anything where they don't make money.

[sccard01]

David, you are right. Six Flags did re-paint T2 and also Chang when the park first went under the Six Flags name. Both rides were apearently repainted for nonthing. Chang was painted electric green and purple and sopposed the be renamed the Riddlers Revenge, but Six Flags never renamed it. T2 was painted all black with purple trains, and also was supposed to be renamed Batman The ride, but never renamed it.

The park was profitable when Ed Hart first had Kentucky Kingdom in 1990-1997, and the park may have been profitable up to the time Greezed Lighting was put in the park in 2003.

I was thinking, Do any of you think Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom would have surrived if Six Flags never purchased geauga lake? Six Flags took 4 rides out Kentucky Kingdom when Geagua Lake first open and Six Flags added 3 new coasters to Geauga Lake its first year! don't coaster take a year or 2 to plan? and I'm sure that one of those coaster were probaly meant for SFKK or SFA or somewhere.

Steel Venom
The Villion
Dominator

[monsterfan99]

^Even if they would have gotten a new coaster that went to GL, it did not fix problems of parking, layout, and problems with flats. Plus it's a small market with 4 parks (SFKK, KI, HW, Beech Bend) all competing for the same slice of the pie.

[sccard01]

^Even if they would have gotten a new coaster that went to GL, it did not fix problems of parking, layout, and problems with flats. Plus it's a small market with 4 parks (SFKK, KI, HW, Beech Bend) all competing for the same slice of the pie.

A Coaster would of drew many to this park and you know it. Even holiday world said you need to add rides to have a success! Ed Hart said the same. Back then it used to be Kentucky Kingdom The Thrill Park, and Kings Island, no Holiday World. KK and KI were the only two parks anyone ever went to in the ohio river valley and were starting to be competitive. No one knew what Holiday World was until the years 2001 or so. Beech Bend park is just a park that noone is really intrested in to be honest in my opinion. The problem with flats was the lacking of paint, and the lacking of rides being taking out of the park and closing some of the parks most popular rides! the cost the park, and other rides suffered. Like last season when rainbow was taking out, the enterprise which sat right next to rainbow suffered and noone road that ride like you saw in years past. Taking out rides effect other rides also you know. Parking to me is a small problem and is an excuse to close the park.

[monsterfan99]

^A coaster would not have done a damn thing. The park is the 3rd best is a saturated market as of 2000. The park is basically the worst of KI & HW combined. Bad coasters, awful flats, horrible layout, high prices inside the park and zero theme. Add in a girl loosing her foot on a ride and the park had/has zero chance. Taking out a rainbow ride did ZERO to effect attendance. It's the fact that is was/is one of the worst theme parks in the country and has been for years that killed the park.

For Beech Bend, it is amazing there were more people there last August when I went then SFKK the week before. I went on a Thursday with no races there that weekend to inflate attendance and a Sunday to SFKK. It couldn't be that at Beech Bend guest feel welcome, unlike SFKK.

Also, parking alone would have kept me from being a SP holder. Being told to pay each visit while HW and BB is free and KI has season pass parking is insane. Even worse is if you leave for lunch, be ready to pay parking again. Little things like that are how you piss off families and drive them to Holiday World.

[BP317]

I went to SFKK last year on a beautiful Saturday during Fright Fest, and all of the coasters had empty trains all day. That should give you an idea of that parks popularity. Chang was a huge loss to this park, I don't think a lot of people around SFGAm would appreciate Raging Bull being removed for a waterpark expansion. The shrinking of the park's product definitley hurt attendance.

Also I don't think it was one of the worst parks in the country, it was actually a pretty nice little park but did need more to do on the dry-side. Theres no reason it can't compete with Holiday World, it's in a much more populated area. The problem is the best coaster in the park is a 30 year old shuttle loop and the other big rides are an awful SLC, and a terribly rough wooden coaster. Whereas HW has Raven, Legend, Voyage, and a better waterpark.

[monsterfan99]

^Holiday World gets positive press in the local and national media, not so much for SFKK. Plus HW has "free" drinks, parking, tubes, suntan lotion and other things. That plus a huge role in people going to which park.

[sccard01]

^A coaster would not have done a damn thing. The park is the 3rd best is a saturated market as of 2000. The park is basically the worst of KI & HW combined. Bad coasters, awful flats, horrible layout, high prices inside the park and zero theme. Add in a girl loosing her foot on a ride and the park had/has zero chance. Taking out a rainbow ride did ZERO to effect attendance. It's the fact that is was/is one of the worst theme parks in the country and has been for years that killed the park.

For Beech Bend, it is amazing there were more people there last August when I went then SFKK the week before. I went on a Thursday with no races there that weekend to inflate attendance and a Sunday to SFKK. It couldn't be that at Beech Bend guest feel welcome, unlike SFKK.

Also, parking alone would have kept me from being a SP holder. Being told to pay each visit while HW and BB is free and KI has season pass parking is insane. Even worse is if you leave for lunch, be ready to pay parking again. Little things like that are how you piss off families and drive them to Holiday World.

A coaster would have attracted many. If you don't think so, thats kinda retarted. It did before... Look at kentucky kingdom 1990-1997! 100,000 visitors to 1.3million! those coasters helped alot! Six Flags could have themed the park, their was supposed to be a g.city over by chang and t2! Their is still gothom scenery but Six Flags never themed that area! those coasters were also supposed to be theme but six flags never did. Their was only two theme rides in the park! the Penguin Blizzard Ride and also Road Runner. I never said rainbow affected the parks attendance! i said on another ride! Six Flags hurt that poor girl on the Hellavator, Six Flags were the ones who made the parks prices go from valuable like Holiday World to sky high like you in the B-hills when the park became Six Flags in 1998. The lack of attractions and rides and coasters killed the park! Even Holiday World and Ed said that you have to add rides and attractions to support a park, which Holiday World has been doing, and it seems Kentucky Kingdom customers have been going to holiday world because of that this past decade!

You are still paying for those free items with your admission ticket you know. the park dont have tubes for wave pools are whatever! they only have them for the lazy rivers and nonthing else. The only thing that played a huge role is the free drinks and new attractions ever season. If you lived here in Lousiville you would know.