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Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom closed? (update on page 5)

CreditCrazy

Hyper Poster
Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom said:
February 4, 2010
Kentucky Kingdom Rejects Lease
Park to Close
Six Flags announced today that as it nears the scheduled end of its restructuring process, it has decided to reject its lease with the Kentucky State Fair Board relating to the Kentucky Kingdom park. In recent weeks, Six Flags had proposed a new lease arrangement to the fair board that would have enhanced the viability and future of the park. Unfortunately, those proposals were not accepted and the park will cease operations and the company will move expeditiously to re-locate employees and several of the more than 40 rides and attractions to one of its 13 other markets.

"We are deeply disappointed to be leaving such a great fan base in the greater metropolitan area of Louisville and we are grateful to the thousands of employees at Kentucky Kingdom and the millions of guests for their dedication, support and loyalty over the years," said Mark Shapiro, Six Flags President and CEO.

"This action relates solely to Kentucky Kingdom," Shapiro continued. "The substantial lease
payment has been a significant hurdle for this park in recent years. Our other parks, which reside
largely on company-owned land, will be completely unaffected and will open as scheduled for the full 2010 season."

http://www.sixflags.com/national/footer ... ngdom.aspx

So glad I went last year.
 

Snoo

The Legend
Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom closed?

Six Flags season pass holders recieved this e-mail today:



"Dear Valued Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Season Pass and Play Pass Holders: On behalf of Six Flags and the 55 full-time Kentucky Kingdom employees, I would like to personally thank you for your continued loyalty and support. It has been our honor to provide amazing thrills and lifelong memories to you and your families for the last twelve years. It is however, with much regret that I inform you that despite multiple attempts to reach a new, fair and equitable lease agreement with the Kentucky State Fair Board, Six Flags has been unable to do so. As a result, Six Flags has rejected the current lease and will be closing Kentucky Kingdom, effective immediately. Please know that this action only affects the Kentucky Kingdom theme park - all nineteen other Six Flags parks will be open for business as usual in 2010, including nearby Six Flags St. Louis and Six Flags Great America in Chicago."



Is this the official end for SFKK?
 

ECG

East Coast(er) General
Staff member
Administrator
You aren't the only one. Snoo, Roody Poo & I are glad as well. Too bad Taylor had to miss out. :p
I guess this was pretty obvious. I never really believed the whole water park rumors tbh. Just didn't make sense to me. I'm just wondering what's going to happen with those woodies & if Greased Lightnin' has seen it's final days. It would be a shame as there aren't many Schwarzkopf weight drop & flywheel launchers around anymore. :(
 

IHeartArrow

Mega Poster
Honestly I'm not shocked. Chang was the dead giveaway.
However, it's still sad. An amusement park closing is an amusement park closing.
The 3 woodies will probably get the death sentence, Greezed Lightnin I'm not too sure about. It is old and made by a defunct manufacturer, and AstroWorld's still can't find an owner. I can't see T2 being salvaged unless SF decided to be foolish and put it at a park with a perfectly fine Batman clone... (La Ronde). The Roller Skater and Wild Mouse will probably appear at another park sometime soon.

Though it's sad I think this is a good move (financially) for SFI because it seems to be the... not most hated, but least popular park.
 

Homer

Hyper Poster
Well, it didn't surprise me when Chang was being removed and plans for a waterpark expansion going through.

It was one of the nicer managed parks in the SF chain though, especially on the Midwest trip. Gave us a very generous lunch and ERT! I'll miss this park a little bit.
 

Antinos

Slut for Spinners
It seemed like the park was hanging by threads for a couple years now. Ever since the twins closed, the park hasn't progressed much. Chang apparently was the nail in the coffin.

I'm sure Six Flags will relocate T2, Roller Skater, and the Wild Mouse. I would hope they would relocate Greased Lightnin'. It is a fun ride with a small footprint. As for the woodies, I think that the twins would get scrapped. I also don't even see why they would want to keep Thunder Road either. The ride looks rough and boring.

Personally, I think it was a good move on their part. The park was on it's last leg. They can also relocate a few coasters instead of buying new ones.
 

Snoo

The Legend
And no.. I didn't steal his topic.. I posted it from the News Section of the site thingy.. yeah.. lol

But yeah, again, happy I went this past summer :)
 

CreditCrazy

Hyper Poster
UC said:
T2 is very old, and was easily the worst of its type I've ridden. I also wonder - where would they put it? Every other Six Flags has an invert...and let's be honest, a 15-year old SLC is a much different situation than a Chang-Iron Wolf issue. I suppose they could try and sell it...by why bother with a 15-year old SLC when you could just buy a brand new one from Vekoma? These things are probably made and put under heat lamps by now.

I would agree with this, except for the fact that Serial Thriller from AstroWorld is going to La Ronde (which already has a Batman clone) and the ride is only four years younger than T2. While I don't want to see T2 return, I think Six Flags would do it.
 

Snoo

The Legend
Also agree with Thunder Road.. not a bad coaster by any means with some epic air.
 

ECG

East Coast(er) General
Staff member
Administrator
I also enjoyed Thunder Run quite a bit (Thunder Road is the woodie racer at Carowinds :wink: ). The thing that really bums me out is the loss of the classic Schwarzkopf launcher. White Lightnin' at Carowinds was my first looping coaster & it's long gone. Riding Greased Lightnin' brought back all those great memories.
As far as other rides to be relocated, there's the Carousel, the Enterprise, the Himalaya & the go-karts - all of which might just be sold off rather than moved to another park.
I only see them relocating the giant Ferris Wheel. It's too good to let go to waste, unless they sell it to the State Fair grounds. I wish they would do that with Thunder Run & the Twins. It would be great to refurbish them for the State Fair & very little maintenance would have to be done since they wouldn't be running constantly.
 

Homer

Hyper Poster
Six Flags America is next on the list, you heard it here first.

As for selling Twisted Twins to the fair? I would honestly say no to that, the ride was very "meh" to me and I rode both sides. I figured that would be a little much $$$ for the State Fair to run. I only see them keeping Thunder Run.

Greezed Lightning is one I will definitely be disappointed that is going to be scrapped.

T2 is getting scrapped, good riddance. That ride was badly maintained, even by the park the past 10 years, when they tried to retheme it to Batman with the black paint and the black paint was chipping off all over revealing its faded old red color. Then you have Kudzu growing all over some of the supports.
 

ECG

East Coast(er) General
Staff member
Administrator
Oh I don't think they will be selling Twins to the fair, I was just wishing because I never got the cred. :wink:
 

marc

CF Legend
I really hope another park buys Greezed Lightnin'. There are not many of these left and I simply love them :)
 

CreditCrazy

Hyper Poster
UC said:
SFA, on the other, really HAS no competition, and despite enthusiast opinions on the place...it's quite popular with the D.C. area populace.

SFA draws crowds and makes money. GL didn't. Ride selection is irrelevant if there's no one there to ride them.

Same could be said for SFKK, though. Every park was profitable in the 2009, including SFKK...and SFKK has just about as much competition as SFA (a lot of big parks a few hours away, but nothing real close).
 

Homer

Hyper Poster
SFKK has some competition;

Holiday World, KI, Beech Bend. All of those are within 2 hours.
 

CreditCrazy

Hyper Poster
Kings Dominion and Hershey Park are both within two hours of SFA. Besides, most people don't/can't travel to other parks, even if they are just a little more than an hour away...more than half of my friends/the people I know haven't even been to SFMM and it's only 90 minutes away.
 
Too bad Taylor had to miss out.

I know, damnit, if I had known it was the last season it would operate I so would have gone. And for goodness sake the fact that I passed it on the highway and stayed in a hotel ten minutes from it just pisses me off even more :p .

Honestly though it was never a park I've been dying to get to, but it sucks to see it go and I'm sad I passed up my only opportunity to go there!
 
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