Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Scott And Carol Present - An Exclusive Behind The Scenes Tour of Kentucky Kingdom




The new sign is emblematic of the fresh start for Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay.


Sadly this entrance will not be used for Greezed Lightnin’ any more. The last coaster installed in the park is the first to go under the current administration.


Here you see where the launch used to be, and you are looking back towards the station. After standing dormant for five years without any TLC, it wasn’t financially viable to restore the ride.


The scrapping of Greezed Lightnin’ and the previous removal of Roadrunner Express will allow lots of room for the new coaster yet to be announced.


Here is the old Road Runner station with the cut off support for the loop of Greezed Lightnin’ in the background.


The back pathway between Road Runner Express and the bridge is remarkably well preserved.


The shops surrounding the wave pool will remain,


and a plaza leading into an expanded water park will eventually be finished.


The first Vekoma SLC to open back in 1995, T2 will be reopened in 2015 with the park. The number, type, and length of the trains is yet to be determined. It opened with 10 car trains and these were quickly shortened to 7 car trains due to rideability issues.


Here are some parts of Thunder Run’s cars undergoing a total rehab. You can also see some brake pads piled on the right, along with a chassis arm.


This car is complete, and some early testing will commence on Thunder Run this summer. We can’t wait for the opportunity to get some pictures of it dropping down the first hill.


The bright strips of new track show how hard at work the crew from Rocky Mountain Coasters have been this summer.


The head chopper turn has been retracked down to the base layers, and the original steel will soon be replaced on top of the wood.


The appearance of the base layers shows why Thunder Run has been considered one of the best Dinn-Summers coasters. The high quality materials have not suffered much destruction with the ride not operating for five seasons.


The new wood appearing in various locations shows how closely scrutinized the structure was before work commenced.


Thunder Run looks good from any angle!


This building in the old Southwest Territory is in good shape, but that whole area is a 2015 project although Mile High Falls might open in 2014.


Kentucky Kingdom will bring back the Thrill Theater, but no decisions will be made concerning the movie until the IAAPA show this fall.

The front pathway will remain in its old configuration and much of it looks ready to open tomorrow. As you can see, there is lots of work to be done before May 23, 2014. That is the projected opening date. We will try to keep you up to date with the park’s progress during the off season. Many thanks to John for the tour, and especially for finding a golf cart!


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