Park Thoughts

This week, we asked our readers to contribute your thoughts on the topic of Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom.  Six Flags may be sued for shutting down Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in the near future.  It is a questionable topic since Six Flags is in rough times right now, so to improve the other parks, they must give the axe to one of the parks that do not do so well.  Now, should Six Flags be sued because they are trying to improve their business?

Well it looks lik 68% of you readers say no.   Out of the 22 voters, 15 of them believe that Six Flags should NOT be sued for shutting down their Kentucky Park.  I for one agree with this.  No pain, no gain, if you want to improve your company, you must make some sacrifices and unfortunately, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom was one of those sacrifices.  However, 32% disagree believing that Six Flags should be legally punished.

This is not the only legal issue the company is having with the fellow Kentucky residents.  The Kentucky Fairgrounds are filing a law suit against the coasters are on the Kentucky Fairgrounds, which Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom is located on, and therefore the coasters are theirs.  However, Six Flags concurs, and files a lawsuit back at them.

 Loading ...

____________________________________________

New Poll!

Now we have a question for you: Quality or Quantity?  Is it better to have a smaller amusement park but have that park work to the best of it’s abilities.  Quality means that the park has a few coasters but it has the best, it has the best food, and it has the best atmosphere.  It is a clean park, it is well staffed friendly and has a some of the best offerings around.

Quantity, however, is a park with more coasters, more rides, and a bigger park, however the park is not the best.  While this park may have double the coasters of a quality park, these coasters are not as good as the ones in the quality park but there are several more of them.  There are more staff, but not quite as motivated, there is more food, but not quite as good, and there is just more to do.

 Loading ...

So what is better?  Quality or Quantity?  Make sure you vote!  Poll closes next Friday.

Respond To This

Respond to This

2011 will be Six Flags 50th Anniversary, and the original park, Six Flags Over Texas, is getting some huge birthday gifts.  Six Flags has said they were going to close Texas Giant, one of the biggest wooden coasters in the world, for the entire 2010 season while it gets a refurbishment in time for the 2011 celebration.  While Six Flags has been pretty quiet about the details, the park has finally revealed some details on the ride’s update.

Image from Amusement Today

Officials today showed off Texas Giant’s new red, steel track.  Texas Giant will be receiving all steel track over it’s wooden supports.  The system the ride will be using is the first of it’s kind and will be manufactured by the Rocky Mountain Construction Group.  The pictures above show the Chinchillan Red track, that is custom fabricated to fit this ride, as well as the steel braces being put into place.

This new style of coaster is being named an “Iron Horse Coaster“.  Rocky Mountain Construction claims several improvements with this new system such as less daily maintenance, less construction cost, and “a revolution in track technology”.    Six Flags seems very proud of this new creation saying “Six Flags has a reputation for developing ride concepts and Texas Giant will be the crowning jewel.”

Needless to say, that this is a very unexpected announcement.  It sounds like this refurbishment will certainly not be a typical off season refurbishment, but instead bringing the ride into the new generation with the custom fabricated track. My thoughts on the Iron Horse Coaster style is still up in the air as the details are a bit confusing.  This 2010 season will certainly be an interesting one as we see a Wooden coaster transform into a steel coaster marvel.  What are your thoughts?  Leave a comment with your Park Thoughts below.

Respond To This

Respond to This

Its time for a quick round up of the news that Park Thoughts has unfortunately missed in the past few days.

First up is the now gone, but not forgotten, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom is now the subject of a battle between Six Flags and the Kentucky Fair.  Each of them have filed a lawsuit against each other,  Why is the Kentucky Fair in this?  They are saying that the rides are fixtures to the land, which is owned by the Kentucky Fairgrounds, therefore, the rides are their property.  The full article can be read here, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Joris en de Draak, or George and the Dragon for the English lovers, has gone vertical at Efteling.  The dueling Great Coasters International (GCI) wooden coaster will be a wonderful addition to the park’s top notch collection of elaborately themed roller coasters and other attractions.  There is some snow on the ground, but that is not stopping the construction workers to get this ride opened in the upcoming months.

Universal Studios Singapore is in preview mode right now.  Guests can buy a fairly low priced preview ticket that allows them to enter the theme park and get one free meal.  While the rides are not yet open, and are all still in the testing phase, its still lets guests absorb the atmosphere of the park experience the dining and street performers.  Sentosa Theme Park Blog as always has a collection of great videos and pictures.

Captain EO made its return yesterday.  It was a media filled event with guests lining up as early as 7 am, and the park did not open until 10!  However, more importantly there was a fire at the Disneyland Hotel in the same week.  The Disneyland Hotel, which is now under a massive renovation project, had a fire crew come in after one of the construction sites caught fire.

Six Flags has announced details about the new 2010 Funatic program.  Members will get items such as free refills,  Flash Passes, bring a friend passes, free parking passes and much more.  It certainly sounds like a very good program to get people to visit the parks more often.  It is going to be interesting to see how this event comes out.

Even more Six Flags news, with Six Flags New England announcing several new improvements for 2010.  In the park’s large Hurricane Harbor water park, the park will be adding Mr. Six’s Splash Island.  It is believed to be a refurbishment of the current play structure.  The park will also open a new Johnny Rockets as well as add a new float to the popular Glow in the Park Parade.

Does any of this news strike you as interesting?  Leave a comment with your Park Thoughts below.

Respond To This

Respond to This

Six Flags just launched a new blog that will cover everything from season passes, to construction updates, and even free give aways. The blog has just started, and the writer says they will ...

Read the entire post »

Respond to This

Its still the middle of the off season so like, so many thousands of other people, I have yet to renew my season pass.  Well very recently, I went to my mail and found that Six Flags Discovery Kingdom sent ...

Read the entire post »

Respond to This

When I was young I lived in Louisville, KY. I remember visiting the State Fair when I was at a very early age and seeing the soaring coasters of Kentucky Kingdom behind the fair’s midway. That’s where my love of ...

Read the entire post »

Respond to This

Six Flags announced today that it would not continue it’s lease for Kentucky Kingdom from the Kentucky State Fair Board after they unsuccessfully tried to work out new agreements. So, basically this means that the park will no longer operate.

There ...

Read the entire post »

Respond to This