I don't think there is a deal CF couldn't refuse, as far as the Kingdom goes.

Yet California's Great America is operated on leased land. The California landlord is probably a lot easier to deal with than the Fair Board and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. And Cedar Fair easier, and certainly more experienced and able as an operator, than Ed Hart & Co. And the lease not the politically charged mess that the Kentucky Kingdom one is.

Just imagine if Bluegrass Boardwalk would have operated by Holiday World familY:

I often wonder if the Kochs gratefully thank God they avoided this investment at the near last minute.

Just imagine if Bluegrass Boardwalk would have operated by Holiday World familY:

I suspect Bluegrass Boardwalk would be operated better than The New Kentucky Kingdom is now. For one, there would be fewer PR screw-ups.

That said, the Kochs likely made the right decision to pull out.

Would Holiday World be getting a steel coaster next year if Bluegrass Boardwalk happened?

Possibly, but I doubt Dan would be operating a park in AL.

I went to Kentucky Kingdom today. It was my first visit under the current ownership. I must say, the park looks really good. It's a little awkward to have whole areas and rides such as Twisted Twins and T2 not running, but other than that it looked pretty clean. Associates were really nice too. I rode Lightning Run twice. It was all I could take. I do like the ride, but the restraints are pretty awkward and I felt like it was kind of rough on my back. It definitely turned out better than I had imagined it would.

With that being said... I took the advice of this site and purchased tickets at Kroger. Paid $10 (plus another $10 for the fair admission). As predicted by some who were on here, people seemed to be less tempted by the gate price ($20 for KK, plus the other $10). An employee told us that they had about 300 in-park. That seemed accurate. There were far more associates and uniformed police officers than park goers.

All back and forth mumbo-jumbo aside, I think a smarter route would have been to build the price of KK admission into the price of the fair and have some of the exhibits throughout the park, rather than have several separate entities (carnival, amusement park, horse stuff, concerts, etc - all were very separated). I feel like it would have been a good way to showcase what they had done with the property.

With that being said, there's still a long way to go. I know that next year T2 (T3 in 2015, apparently) will reopen. That's an elephant and a half in the room. You can see it from everywhere but you can't ride it. I really hope they do something about the ride to modernize it. I remember it being extremely painful - almost like a punishment - back in the SFKK days. Maybe the vest treatment that the Carolina Cobra got would work.

I did kind of miss Grease Lightnin' (although Lightning Run was a fair trade) but could do without Chang. That ride was stupid from the beginning.

^ So, you like the Chang at KK?

I strongly suspect that not being able to open until two hours after the carnival isn't helping. Then, closing three hours before the carnival. 19.95 on Friday for five hours max of Kentucky Kingdom? That's the gate choice. And no water park.

300 people. On a Friday?

Hoo Boy!

Given how everything else has worked there this summer, watch things change, again? I bet they'd have gotten more revenue Friday if they'd have opened the gates free and sold food! but then, the carnival isn't going to put up with that.

Did you look at it or ride anything over there?

It picked up a LITTLE right before close, but was still a situation in which you spent far more time walking to each ride and loading into the ride vehicle than waiting in any lines. Any lines we waited in were simply waiting for a ride to cycle because - you guessed it : one train operation.

Oh, and their flying scooters are 100% snapable. I did it with two people in the tub. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

With Kentucky Kingdom there, the Fair Board has never been able to attract better than a third rate carnival unit. No company is going to send its best when the park is there to compete.

And now, these prices? The Fair may find itself next year with NO carnival other than whatever the Kingdom can provide.

In years past, Kentucky Kingdom had charged by the ride with an arm band option some years.

Oh, the 300 people? Forget not that season passes ARE now honored during the fair. Half or more may have paid not a dime to Hart & Company last night.

They had a decent amount of fair rides. This even included a mobile roller coaster. I didn't venture off into that section of the fair, but it seemed like a decent collection...

When that carnival was contracted, I highly, highly doubt it thought it'd be competing against a 9.99 advance sale at the Kingdom, season passes and dollar drinks.

Next year is a different story.

It'll be interesting to see what happens next year. Clearly this model isn't working.

Will be a shame if it changes drastically because the carnival has been nice the last few years.

300 people? LOL Sounds like I just might be able to get my rides after all.

Of course, things in Louisville were greatly hampered yesterday by that "Purge" BS that was going around. Gotta love Kentucky's Ghetto.

Yeah, Louisville has a lot of rough areas. Definitely some sketchy people in that part of town.

Will be a shame if it changes drastically because the carnival has been nice the last few years.

300 people? LOL Sounds like I just might be able to get my rides after all.

Of course, things in Louisville were greatly hampered yesterday by that "Purge" BS that was going around. Gotta love Kentucky's Ghetto.

Yeah, The Purge... all of the employees said they didn't take it seriously, but you'd better believe that they all knew about it. I wouldn't have even known if they hadn't told me...

All caused by one student's tweet, who thought it would be "fun":

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/16/louisville-the-purge-threat/14151803/

From the end of last month, just one of the many articles mentioning the discount admission to Kentucky Kingdom during the fair, $9.95. Not a word about either Kroger nor advance purchase required.

Also, in this long, flowery article, not a peep the water park would be shut down during the fair.

http://www.voice-tribune.com/news/cover-story/alls-fair-in-louisville-110th-state-fair-brings-new-with-traditional/

Bait and switch.

Were this New Jersey, someone would be facing civil and perhaps criminal liability.

Shameful.

Sadly, not inconsistent with the rest of the summer.

Honest question. Are these missteps by a purposefully deceitful company running a bait and switch company with no regard for customers

or

are these missteps by a company who took on way too much and is still figuring its way around and up a very steep hill

or

are these missteps by a company that has no idea what its doing?

I do believe this time Hart & Company fully intended to let all and sundry in the Kingdom during the fair for 9.95 and for the same hours as the midway carnival. (Season passholders get in with their pass).

Then the carnival company raised Holy Hannah, as did the Fair Board.

That they couldn't see this coming boggles the mind.

At least mine.

That wouldn't surprise me. Working with many county fair board members, I learned very quickly not to underestimate them or the power they wield in their community. Thankfully, this was not learned the hard way.

I don't normally toot my own horn, but today myself and the other 4 operators at Lightning Run moved like i have not seen that ride move before. I honestly think it was comparable to Diamondbacks crew. On most occasions we were ready to go before the ride was (2 train operation) and there was NO stacking other than the occasional "guest of a larger stature" and on a different note, today's guest count was MUCH higher than yesterday's.

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2014/08/21/state-fair-board-seeks-funding-raze-cardinal-stadium/14404129/

Yep.

Interpretation. Not going well. Fair Board to next month consider "tweaks" to help the park.

Which it most certainly would NOT be doing unless it felt it was in danger of losing the park. Which it is.

Not good.

At all.

No way to put a positive spin on this one.

And the absence of ANY Kentucky Kingdom news during the fair so far? The ONLY good way to spin that is No News Is Good News.

That's sad.

Lets hope for the best for Kingdom.

Playing Devil's Advocate to Terp. Its not like the Fair Board would be a hands off organization. It did say that they need to make more money.

Maybe (just hypothetical) that KK is doing okay to sustain itself, but the Fair Board is not happy that it is not seeing a bigger income because of it....

Or more likely, what Terp Said

Lets hope for the best for Kingdom.

Hope is not a strategy.

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2014/08/21/state-fair-board-seeks-funding-raze-cardinal-stadium/14404129/

Yep.

Interpretation. Not going well. Fair Board to next month consider "tweaks" to help the park.

Which it most certainly would NOT be doing unless it felt it was in danger of losing the park. Which it is.

Not good.

At all.

No way to put a positive spin on this one.

And the absence of ANY Kentucky Kingdom news during the fair so far? The ONLY good way to spin that is No News Is Good News.

That's sad.

Whether they drew 300,000 or 3,000,000, wouldn't they want to meet regardless after the first year?

To tweak the lease to help the park?

No.