I didnt know you two were so close 

I have known, and admired, Pat Koch for at least 25 years...

That indeed explains a lot, Terpy, and deserves much respect.

I don't know about the I intricate politics of Holiday World, I'd always wanted to visit, but being free lance means your dance card fills up at the oddest times.

Looking at Alabama's Splash Adventures social media, it looks like a fun little clean park. The county it is in has had some troubles, but that doesn't mean the park is doomed. The Facebook page had very few complaints. Maybe this is what the area needed.

I have been thinking, when will I get out to this park!

At this point, the park is essentially a Waterpark plus Rampage. The dry park had been completely liquidated. Rampage is atop a hill overlooking the rest of the park. It certainly has expansion potential.

And what are Your thoughts on that?  Since our plans changed, and my Wife and I are now going to be living in Florida as opposed to Colorado, it will be very easy for me to make the trek to ASA.  Do You see them keeping it as such.... waterpark plus Rampage.... or do You see them expanding it to something more along the likes of a KK or even HW size and style park?

In the interview video I posted on the last page, Dan Koch actually mentions the long-term plan is to generally add to both parks. So I doubt it will stay "Waterpark+Rampage" forever (basically I expect more dry side rides to be added in future years), though the waterpark will probably get a big part of the overall focus just like at Holiday World.

That will work fine for me, since Ive got so many other primarily dry ride/thrill ride parks in the area to frequent.  ID definitely like to see this park be a flat-heavy park, with a lot of  the flats that have begun to disappear from most venues (whip, a GOOD tilt-a-whirl, GOOD bumper cars like at HW and Knoebels, etc etc).

^
I could dig a park with rides like that. I would also not be shocked if at some point they decided to add a 2nd wooden coaster (probably Gravity Group) to Alabama Adventure given the family's reputation. Add a nice dark ride, some more waterslides, and perhaps a small wild mouse or something and you'd probably have a great small park that would attract not only lots of locals, but the hardcore coaster & park enthusiasts as well who travel to such parks.

The mess that is the parking lot needs reorganized.

I've never seen a harder to get into or out of park.

It's a tragic mess.

I am of the opinion that, they would be more willing/apt to go with a GCI woodie along the lines of Prowler, after the debacle that was the Voyage/Timberliner saga.

^ I was wondering about that myself. I honestly don't know if they would consider a Gravity Group coaster with Timberliners or not. It wasn't until Lori was in charge of Holiday World that that project was cancelled. Dan, in the other hand, hired TGG/Gravitykraft to retrack/redo Voyage that one off-season while the Timberliners were still being worked on. But, it does beg the question: was that cancellation all Lori's idea, or was Dan already planning it?

Rampage And a good whip would get me into the park if I was ever in the area

It's not like Mangels is cranking out new ones.

Well somebody should be

Even the adult ones that still exist have their controls typically pegged so that they can run at no more than half the design speed.

Times were very different early last century. What was acceptable then often would not be now.

Half speed is better then no whip at all

Indeed. But I wish you could have ridden one when they ran as they did when I was a boy.

Then again, snapping flying scooters was NOT allowed and would get you thrown out the first time...and a "lifetime ban" if repeated.

Did they run faster than the Rye Playland Whip does?

Yes. I really miss the bumper cars that Playland at Rye removed about 10 years ago. That was the speediest set I ever rode, and put Knoebels Lusses to shame. Good times!

Indeed. But I wish you could have ridden one when they ran as they did when I was a boy.

Then again, snapping flying scooters was NOT allowed and would get you thrown out the first time...and a "lifetime ban" if repeated.

So it's not my imagination that Whips don't go as fast as they used. At Lesourdesville, I felt like it was very fast, but later, when I was older, rode a Whip and concluded that it was because I was so young that I thought they were faster.

Oddly, most kiddie Whips, like most old kiddie coasters, were never slowed/tamed.

Terp, tearfully remembering the propane fired High Speed Thrill Cosster at Knoebel's Grove Amusement Resort. Wow! (Especially during Phoenix Phall Phun Phest!)

ASA opens 5 new rides this season, mostly on the dry side. Here is an interview with Pat and Dan. I really miss Pat in Indiana. She always had the best park commercials!

http://abc3340.com/station/talk-of-alabama/talk-of-alabama-61318-splash-adventure

Looking at this thread they did exactly what some were asking for, a few classic rides: Scrambler and a Tilt-A-Whirl.

http://www.alabamasplash.com/attractions/

Check out that Drop Tower name! 

23 hours ago, bkroz said:

Check out that Drop Tower name! 

Better name than Drop Tower