I bet the staff at KI is gigaling while we try to figure out what they're trying to cook up with this.

 

They've clearly got sponsorship money from Ford for the new giga!

Screamscape just heard a rumor about Antique cars coming back and might be placed in that area, looks like he was maybe right as they are now doing work.

 

Antique Cars! Bring it on!

I'm not entirely sure you could fit an antique cars like ride in Tower Gardens and there isn't much leeway around it to expand. 

My guess is it's something related to Winterfest.

Well, in the meanwhile, 

signal lines have been laid in far end by electrical box.

new mulch brought in to cover up excavation by old pond area

new footers laid

caution tape around rear third of area.

Wow you have seen footers?!?! We need pics! haha

2 hours ago, Maverick44 said:

Wow you have seen footers?!?! We need pics! haha

The new footers in Tower Garden are identical to those by the clock. I think they may be for Winterfest, although they are quite big.

Must be a big Christmas tree they are putting there. Or maybe its some other " big" decorations for the wintertime. I guess they plan on keeping winterfest around for a while if they are putting footers in for it. If that is what they are for.

I was there yesterday. All of the footers line the walkways of Tower Gardens and down by the clock, which tells me that it is something to do with a display more than a ride. It also implies that Tower Gardens will not be the location of the antique cars (which Screamscape has stated as a probable site), if that is the new attraction for next year.

I can see them just using this area for decorations. That leaves me guessing as to where would be a scenic route or area for the cars to traverse. 

It's open and there are half a dozen of these.


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^bunch of those around the International Street fountains too. Pretty sure they're for Winterfest 

Is the green box new as well?

Kind of on the topic of footers- do you think those old footers on the inner loop the K.I.&.M.V.R.R will be reused for Winterfest?

I was referring to the green box. Yes, as far as I know, both the concrete cakes and the green boxes, in Tower Gardens and around the fountains are new tho. 

Yeah this has to be for Winterfest. I mean what else could it possibly be for.

Could they be the points where the will anchor the lights for the Christmas Tree on the Tower?

 

Don't know the locations of all of them to be able to say or not.

@CoastersRZ: people are saying "footers." Drop that knowledge!

 

6 minutes ago, teenageninja said:

Could they be the points where the will anchor the lights for the Christmas Tree on the Tower?

 

Don't know the locations of all of them to be able to say or not.

That would be an awesomely large tree! i'd like to see that!!

The design is on the front of the Winterfest page...

^^ ahhh yes I see that now. That would be crazy sweet to see!

Technically the proper term is footings, not footers.  Footers is the slang term that is often used.

I doubt that they reuse the footings on the train that were used to house the displays from when they had Winterfest in 2005.  

I am excited to see how many lights they have for Winterfest this time around.  They seemed to be lacking in that department with Winterfest 2005.  But then again, after having visited Dollywood`s Smoky Mountain Christmas numerous times, the lights there are amazing, so comparing KI to that is like comparing apples and oranges (at least it was for Winterfest 2005). I hope this incarnation gives it a run for its money.

If you look at the marketing image of the tower it looks as if the lights will wrap around the observation platform unlike previous WF installations where they only came off the front.

 

   

The old footers on KI & MVRR are not going to be used for Winterfest.   If you look closely as your ride the train now, you will see wooden survey sticks along the way with writing on them representing the components of the 12 days of Christmas.  (there are a few miscellaneous animals thrown in as well)   These wire frames representing the 12 days (just as seen in other city displays) are free standing with post and guide wire supports.   From what I heard, most of the pieces have arrived and are in the new storage building.

Dollywood this past weekend started to hang their lights (but their season starts Nov 4) so would expect as soon as the regular daily schedule ends Aug 20 at KI, they too will start hanging lights.

On 8/2/2017 at 1:42 PM, Gordon Bombay said:

@CoastersRZ: people are saying "footers." Drop that knowledge!

 

Oh the good old days...how I miss them!

At the Cincinnati zoo they were hanging lights,the other day. 

I was at Silver Dollar City last week and they had already started hanging their lights as well.

The old footers on KI & MVRR are not going to be used for Winterfest.   If you look closely as your ride the train now, you will see wooden survey sticks along the way with writing on them representing the components of the 12 days of Christmas.  (there are a few miscellaneous animals thrown in as well)   These wire frames representing the 12 days (just as seen in other city displays) are free standing with post and guide wire supports.

I am excited to see how many lights they have for Winterfest this time around.  They seemed to be lacking in that department with Winterfest 2005.

The train will have the 12 Days of Christmas displays. It's expected to be over a million lights total in the park. The displays and lighting people are Blue Haze Entertainment. I happened to hear/talk to a guy on the train that was here working on design plans. They're working on a way to light the train too.