Be sure to let us know what you think of this big announcement! If you’re unfamiliar with the history of Kentucky Kingdom and would like to learn more, I encourage you to check out Save My Park, a documentary we created here on the channel a few years ago about the fascinating and rocky history of Kentucky Kingdom. It’s amazing how a park that was once considered a failure will now be operated by one of the nations top theme park companies! ua-cam.com/video/_ypLgCUq0n0/v-deo.html
As a creator, a ride lover and a KY resident I appreciate what you are doing. I live 10 minutes away from the park and you are the 1st person that mentioned anything about it. Shared this multiple times with friends and family.
I was actually relieved when I saw who the buyer was! First I saw a headline on my news feed and, being from NE Ohio, my heart sank. I had flashbacks of cedar fair purchasing and closing geagua lake ... and you know how close Kentucky Kingdom is to King's Island. I was actually SO relieved to see it was Herschend. Definitely the best possible buyer if it's going to be sold. And hey, hopefully they do a fantastic Christmas event and we can hit KI's winterfest and Kentucky Kingdom's event in a single easy trip. How great would that be?
Still kinda worried about how much will they invest in the Park. I don't want it to become a wild adventures or like when Herschend owned Darien Lake and Elitch Gardens part-time and not do anything with it.
Herschend never owned Darien Lake they just managed it (CNL properties owned the park at the time), it's the same situation now, Six Flags doesn't own Darien Lake, they're only managing the park. But Hershened did retheme a couple areas of the park before the lease was up, Rowdy's Ridge and the boardwalk which were well done.
When I heard about this, I almost started to cry. I absolutely love, and I mean, love Kentucky Kingdom. This is one of my all time favorite parks and I was very very very sad to hear it getting sold off. Well I don't know about sad because Herschend will be buying it and it might get some good upgrades, but Ed Heart was an absolutely amazing owner, he had so much care for enthusiast and this park, he put so much money into it. I really wish the best for him and his awesome team and I am happy to see the future of this park and what it holds next.
This will be so good for this park. Everyone’s worried about Herschend and their other parks that aren’t Dollywood and SDC, but those are in terrible locations and make nearly nothing. This will be a much more lucrative park for them and will do well
Herschend doesn't treat any of their properties like the "ugly red-headed step child". If a property makes xx percentage profit increases it will see investments which are deserved for making that xx percent profit increase. They aren't Cedar Fair or Six Flags where the parks which make the least profit get new benches and trash cans for 15 years. Herschend doesn't pit their properties against each other.
I wonder what Ed’s next move will be. He’s such a great man and what he knows about the industry is so immense especially after this experience so I wonder what he’s going to do from here
I really hope it becomes something like SDL or Dollywood, it’d be perfect edit: I just want to clarify this is my opinion, dont be the stereotypical coaster enthusiast and start a fight over opinions
There's so many great things that can be done with this park: 1.) Seasonal and Themed events will be very exciting especially when you think about Kentucky Derby, Halloween, and Christmas even though haunts are probably not going to be a thing 2.) Parks should offer more live entertainment and shows and I think some music styled shows are great in my opinion; maybe even give Save My Park as an entertainment offering with or without an orchestra 3.) Yes Harlem Globetrotters 4.) A great hotel nearby with hotel guests offerings; I hope that's the case since this is part of my itinerary in a future vacation to Kentucky for whenever Nascar races at Kentucky Speedway. 5.) Keys to the Kingdom can be another themed event that can either focus on Coaster Enthusiasts or Medieval Times style LARP entertainment; I'm hoping the Coaster Enthusiasts route, but I wouldn't be surprised nor disappointed with the latter option.
Herschend could buy Six Flags America, rename it "American Adventure", and theme it to the history of the United States , a Herschend version of the cancelled Disney's America.
That name would also fit in with one of the historical names of the park, Adventure World. (Prior to that, it was called Wild World and included a safari/zoo.) Personally I would love to see it, but there is an insane amount of revisionism happening to American History, and I can't imagine anyone other than a determined independent operator taking that approach... particularly in Prince George's County.
This makes me feel a lot better about the acquisition but now I’m nervous about The Big Kahuna being phased out 😬💦 It only happens once per hour & you’re given plenty of warning.
I'm honestly thrilled with this move. Kentucky Kingdom is my home park and I gotta say, it has a very very bright future. I can't wait to see the seasonal events, especially it Christmas event and Hopefully they bring back Halloscream. Plus I love to have the Cinnamon bread.
Kentucky Kingdom isn't the greatest park, yet you can't help but feel the love for it given it's bumpy history. Most of the other parks I visited during my trip were better than KK, but I still had a great day, and the Mexican food I had there was to die for 😆 I wish them all the best, and I hope they install a shrine for Ed Hart 😍😆
Everyone in the comments section: *hoping it doesn't end up like Wild Adventures with no major investments* Herschend: *smiles as they plan to RMC Cheetah*
I was just thinking that when I went to Kentucky kingdom yesterday (it’s my home park too), the lack of theming really bothers me since in most other amusement parks I’ve been to they always have some neat theming for their rides, but Kentucky Kingdom barely has any theming at all. I think the only rides that have some kind of theming are the river rapids ride, and Kentucky Flyer.
Ever since the teaser and rumors I was skeptical about this being a good move for Kentucky Kingdom, but it definitely looks like Herschend has a great plan for the park and that the overall experience will be improved. It doesn’t seem like Kentucky Kingdom will get neglected like it might have under other chains. Great decision and move by Ed Hart, finding what seems like the right company to take over. My new question is what other parks might Herschend acquire and will they sell Wild Adventures?
@Zacheroni Considering that park will be forced to relocate I don’t think Herschend even wants to think about Elitch. I was thinking more along the lines of Frontier City.
You put this exactly how I would. Herschend does an amazing job with Dollywood and Silver Dollar City, here's hoping Kentucky Kingdoms future is brighter than ever now.
It would be very interesting if Herschend ever decided to offer up an equivalent to Cedar Fair Platinum pass. Include visits and parking to the 4 amusement parks and maybe discounts on some of their other properties. I think this would drive cross visits to the parks as KK is only 4.5 hours from Dollywood and Silver Dollar City is less than 8 hours so still a days drive. I am in Cincy and I might by a pass just to hit up KK and Dolly if they offered such and then I would likely plan a trip out to SDC.
I would argue that most people wouldn't use this benefit or even know the parks were related. Even today I don't think Cedar Fair gets a lot of cross visitation with their platinum passes (maybe other than Kings Island and Cedar Point). Six Flags is more marketable in that aspect.
As soon as I heard the news about this yesterday, I was excited. Herschend is the best company by far to sell the park to. It will be in good hands and I do believe that over time Herschend will build it up to the same quality and standards of their amazing Silver Dollar City and Dollywood. If this is your local park, you just won the amusement park lottery. :)
On one hand, I'm a HUGE fan of what Ed has done to revitalize the place. KK has always been my 2nd home park outside of KI, but I never really saw reason to invest in more than one visit every few years until recent years-not to mention things like their amazing social media team and last year creating their own park event DURING COVID. On the other, if they had to sell out, glad its Herschend to take the reigns, since they generally know what their doing (except maybe demolishing the signature attraction at Wild Adventures, RIP Cheetah, but maybe that had to do with getting funding to aquire KK). Honestly, my one big hope is Herschend will introduce some sort of universal season pass like the Platinum Pass/SF passes etc. I would LOVE to be able to visit Dollywood more often, and going back to SDC (since my only visit was during the 2 years they actually had Buzzsaw Falls) is WAY up on my US bucketlist....
The best part of the acquisition is the food. Dollywood and Silver Dollar City have the best theme park food I’ve ever had. Hopefully they take some of Louisville’s history into account and create some amazing bourbon flavored dishes.
I haven't decided if I like this or not as my new home park. I see things like free drinks, low ticket prices and all that flying out the window with this move but if we could get some more coasters that stack up to storm chaser I would be all for it!
I think this will overall be a great move for Kentucky Kingdom. There is so much opportunity for increased theming throughout the park that I think they will work on creating. Will be very nice!
@@eloramaxwell7020 yeah I waited 2 hours at SDC on a Weekday to use that discount, not the best or most viable way to obtain it. They're running a Multi Billion Dollar Chain, it's not hard to get all your Parks on the same system.
Kentucky Kingdom is gonna get even better! It will have more live entertainment, which I felt like it needed for years. I can’t wait to see what characters get to roam around the park. And they better keep adding coasters 🙂
I Hate to see Ed Leave KK .. he's been there for so long and had so much to do with this park and it's survival, As did you Taylor .. your Doc on this park helped so much & I Wanna thank you for taking the time to help save KK .. I Can only hope the New Managment is good. I Hoped for this too when Six Flags took over KK .. and i'm sorry but they destroyed the park to a point i didnt think it would ever come back from. but Again Mr Hart stepped in and revived KK. I Just may have to buy a KK Season Pass this year
This is going to be interesting to watch. It's nice that Kentucky Kingdom is receiving a little more stability. I'm curious to their approach, as Kentucky Kingdom is far different from their other two parks, and I wonder how they'll implement what they know. However, if they develop this into a family-focused park, that may provide interesting results, especially considering that other nearby parks focusing on thrill, particularly King's Island, are in the nearby area.
As a Kentucky resident I must say I am excited by this announcement. I have never visited Kentucky Kingdom because it was the same drive to Kings Island and I found their season passes to have more value. I look foward to some competition for Kings Island now in the next few years!
The same day the news came out I was running through how Adventure World and Kentucky Kingdom were briefly two of the top parks in the chain when Premier Parks ran them.
something i think is also worth noting is that ed heart was against adding a launch coaster, even though us enthusiasts know it is a perfect fit, so maybe that is back on the table now
I think they could do a mystery mine type ride probably a erou fighter because Kentucky has more history of coal mineing than Tennessee does expanded lore like after the mine shut down all the minors were transferred to Kentucky and the curse followed them
Herschend owns the rights to Chuggington and Splash and Bubbles, so that's what they might mean by "Herschend owned properties"? I think it's gonna be somewhere in between wild adventures and silver dollar city (I think Dollywood is in a different league because with that Herschend gets to spend some of dolly parton's money). I would expect occasional large attractions, but not at the rate that sdc gets stuff. Definitely think the biggest changes will be with festivals and general feel of the park (landscaping, beauty, etc.). While I'm sad I never got to visit the park while Ed Hart owned it, I think CS is right in that this probably was in the cards all along, and that Herschend is probably the best operator around for the park. And if Herschend is into buying more parks, the I say bring it on!! I'm praying for the day someone buys Wild Waves!
This is one of my two home parks (the other being Holiday World). I am SO pleased with what Ed Hart has done, especially considering the state Six Flags left the place in. I sincerely hope the park continues on the trajectory Mr. Hart has created.
I’m excited to see what herschend will bring I mean extending the season is gonna be a plus for me I have been to the park since 2006 when it was six flags I’m so excited to come back when they open maybe you will see me there
I do have some small concerns like I hope they don't have any disputes with the Kentucky Fair Grounds like what happened Six Flags and I hope they treat this place better than they do Wild Adventures. However I kind of also hope that they acquire Magic Springs in Arkansas next. Why? Because Ed Hart used to operate that park as well and I feel like that place needs a lot of attention as well.
Kentucky kingdom is my home park here are my thoughts. We are 10 weeks out from opening day so I don’t expect to much this year Ableast . They announced that there will be events coming to the park. Maybe not this year but down the line. As for alcohol I m not sure. Free soft drinks for out of state I m not sure either. Also not to mention switching to coke from Pepsi. Maby not this year. Also be interesting getting rides like eye of the storm and Scream extreme light packages at night.
I think it’s great! Dollywood and Silver Dollar Cory are among the best parks in the country. I know they will still be the flag ships but Kentucky Kingdom is an already established park. I don’t think anything they do will hurt the park, only improve it. I would hate to see them strip it of everything that makes it unique, but I still think they will do awesome things with it.
Sounds like a good fit. This seems like it will be a slow transition. I don’t know much about Herschend’s other past parks, but I know about how Six Flags turns everything to garbage, and cedar fair is good at selling off that garbage. Geauga lake was my home park. Thank God for Ed Hart. If Herschend works out a smooth transition and work well with the logistics of the park and the state fair board, this could continue to be a great family amusement park. They should certainly know they have strong local and regional support and as long as the locals keep them honest, then the park will thrive.
Yeah Im fairly excited and think this is a positive. Ive seen so much worrying over this, which makes me chuckle because enthusiasts rave about DW/SDC and crap on anything "corporate" but then I saw people saying "shame tis is going corporate" Im like.....wait lol They are quick to cite how Wild Adventures or Celebration City flopped but eh, idk feels different. At the least I dont get why people just assume it'll be left to stagnate and is run into the ground. Given how the past decade has gone....I see no reason to doubt Herschend unless they prove otherwise. Im sure this will be good for the park. It may not be the next DW or SDC but some investment would make it a smash hit!! It seems to me enthusiasts keep getting hung up on the word "corporate" like they dont get that any amusement park even a single, family owned one, is a corporation lol likewise though big chains come with downsides they also come with upsides, like $$ to invest.
Admiration for the speed you’ve pulled this together, great job and very informative. Your documentary is a big part of why I want to visit this park and I’m kinda sad Ed Hart won’t be around when I’ll be there next year (should have been this year but oh well).
Being from Kentucky this park means a lot to me. It’s not the biggest or the best but it’s come a long way in the past decade and I honestly think this is a good thing! (Or at least I hope so, given its past lol) I didn’t get to attend the Halloween event, although I would’ve loved to, but I agree I don’t think they will bring it back or if they do it will be more of a fall festival, and definitely be more family oriented. Especially considering that Waverly Hills is near by if you want a good scare 😂 Love all y’all’s videos!
I personally think Herschend will attempt to bring back Hall-o-Scream due to the fact that Kentucky Kingdom already has all the props, set pieces and costumes for the event.
at least cedar fair didn't get it. Don't get me wrong cedar fair is a good company, but if they bought Kentucky Kingdom it would probably end up being another Geauga lake type of park. But, I do look forwards to visiting soon!
I hope Hershend buys Great Escape. The park has a ton of potential if an owner who wants to invest in it, especially given that there is a resort on property. The park certainly has it's charm and it's not as "in the middle of no where" as it looks on the map, being that it's right off the interstate, a ton of people from NYC and Montreal vecation in the Adarondaks, and Albany just 1 hr away is certainly not to be scoffed at.
I would love for Herschend to use this as an opportunity to add a “platinum style” upgrade to dollywood passes to include Kentucky kingdom and silver dollar city
Now that they have three parks in different markets.... two massive tourism markets and one "holding its own and gaining ground" tourism market..... a program where certain levels of season passes are honored at all three parks might just be in the works. It makes sense and dollars and cents.
Not really. Holiday World is a vacation destination all on its own. Kentucky Kingdom isn't at that level.... people vacation in Louisville for other reasons and while they're there, they hit KK.
Honestly Herscend should ackowledge the heavy potentional considering the park's only competition is literally one smaller park that happens to have a solid GCI. A bonus of this could also be deciding the hyper-chance GTX model would go well in many other parks. Actually, I couldn't think of a better new addition for Frontier City, I feel like it's only a matter of a year or two before six flags is off that one. If it'd inspire six flags to follow though that'd be nice. Minus the "hyper coaster airtime hill" seqments towards the end of the one model it'd be unique even in those with B&M hypers or just others already with a lot of that.
I think they won't really raise ticket prices because of the median income of people in the area. Also im sure they will look at data that shows where most of their guests are coming from. Great video as always 👍
With this being my home park, I’m visioning the possibility of the RMC raptor and a launch coaster getting added to the park. I hope the prices don’t skyrocket.
Ok guys think this through, What type of ride does this park desperately need? A launched looper, What manufacturer has Herschend recently worked with that can make this kind of ride? Most people would instantly jump to Mack, but they are forgetting some things. 1. There is another manufacturer that can make one that BOTH Herschend AND KK have worked with recently in the past. 2. This Park is a very thoosie friendly park and are pretty knowledgable about what people would like to see in the park (and in the US). 3. This could be the test park for Herschend to see if certain types of rides would work well for the bigger parks. I think its about time we see them come... The one, The only, Vekoma...
Good thoughts. An important footnote is while HFE may not own all the land (Hart owned a small part, and I assume that land comes with the deal), just like Six Flags, they do own the assets. It's also worth noting that Craig Ross was VP/GM at PKI for a long time so he is familiar with this crowded market (KI, HW, IB, etc). The park did make a public statement today confirming alcohol sales will remain- good move. HFE used to have the rights to use the Rudolph characters in their parks- not sure if that is still the case. At one point Dollywood also had VeggieTales--popular with kids. Not sure about that, either. They are also good at creating their own characters- see the Snow Angel at Stone Mountain. I think KK also has their own Louie the Lion character. I see this move as a net positive.
Be sure to let us know what you think of this big announcement! If you’re unfamiliar with the history of Kentucky Kingdom and would like to learn more, I encourage you to check out Save My Park, a documentary we created here on the channel a few years ago about the fascinating and rocky history of Kentucky Kingdom. It’s amazing how a park that was once considered a failure will now be operated by one of the nations top theme park companies! ua-cam.com/video/_ypLgCUq0n0/v-deo.html
Petition for Hamilton the ride for Disney world?
As a creator, a ride lover and a KY resident I appreciate what you are doing.
I live 10 minutes away from the park and you are the 1st person that mentioned anything about it. Shared this multiple times with friends and family.
On a side note I saw your video on the kingdom . Well made!
ua-cam.com/video/VSIp7nwMklg/v-deo.html
This video was a nice refresher to all the doom and gloom on Reddit about this topic. Really puts things into perspective.
I was actually relieved when I saw who the buyer was! First I saw a headline on my news feed and, being from NE Ohio, my heart sank. I had flashbacks of cedar fair purchasing and closing geagua lake ... and you know how close Kentucky Kingdom is to King's Island. I was actually SO relieved to see it was Herschend. Definitely the best possible buyer if it's going to be sold. And hey, hopefully they do a fantastic Christmas event and we can hit KI's winterfest and Kentucky Kingdom's event in a single easy trip. How great would that be?
ua-cam.com/video/VSIp7nwMklg/v-deo.html
@@askanashkenaziaspee8881 it has been a month so I’m assuming you’ve taken your chill pills?
Still kinda worried about how much will they invest in the Park. I don't want it to become a wild adventures or like when Herschend owned Darien Lake and Elitch Gardens part-time and not do anything with it.
well at least herschend was about to rmc predator before they sold it
Herschend never owned Darien Lake they just managed it (CNL properties owned the park at the time), it's the same situation now, Six Flags doesn't own Darien Lake, they're only managing the park. But Hershened did retheme a couple areas of the park before the lease was up, Rowdy's Ridge and the boardwalk which were well done.
Didn’t Hershend buy Darien lakes first coaster in over 15 years with tantrum and they also came up with the lake monster concept for predator?
@@ethanl5109 No that was Premiere Parks.
Herschend did basically what Taylor is describing, moreover entertainment and theming updates.
They almost built rmc predator and the also they only had a small lease of it
When I heard about this, I almost started to cry. I absolutely love, and I mean, love Kentucky Kingdom. This is one of my all time favorite parks and I was very very very sad to hear it getting sold off. Well I don't know about sad because Herschend will be buying it and it might get some good upgrades, but Ed Heart was an absolutely amazing owner, he had so much care for enthusiast and this park, he put so much money into it. I really wish the best for him and his awesome team and I am happy to see the future of this park and what it holds next.
This will be so good for this park. Everyone’s worried about Herschend and their other parks that aren’t Dollywood and SDC, but those are in terrible locations and make nearly nothing. This will be a much more lucrative park for them and will do well
Herschend doesn't treat any of their properties like the "ugly red-headed step child". If a property makes xx percentage profit increases it will see investments which are deserved for making that xx percent profit increase. They aren't Cedar Fair or Six Flags where the parks which make the least profit get new benches and trash cans for 15 years.
Herschend doesn't pit their properties against each other.
@@BackSeatJunkie exactly! They’re not bad parks, they’re treated proportionately and things work out. Herschend will treat KK well.
@@BackSeatJunkie What about wild adventures tho
I wonder what Ed’s next move will be. He’s such a great man and what he knows about the industry is so immense especially after this experience so I wonder what he’s going to do from here
I’m hoping he’d be interested in Alabama Adventure 👀
He'll probably retire, after all he's been in the industry for over 30 years.
Kentucky Kingdom is my home park and I want to see this park grow i have good expectations with this new management.
I really hope it becomes something like SDL or Dollywood, it’d be perfect
edit: I just want to clarify this is my opinion, dont be the stereotypical coaster enthusiast and start a fight over opinions
Ew no!
No lol. SDC and Dollywood are meant to be theme parks. Kentucky Kingdom should remain as an amusement park.
@@KoasterKrieger Exactly. No matter how nice those parks are, Kentucky Kingdom should be the way it is just with changes like Taylor said.
There's so many great things that can be done with this park:
1.) Seasonal and Themed events will be very exciting especially when you think about Kentucky Derby, Halloween, and Christmas even though haunts are probably not going to be a thing
2.) Parks should offer more live entertainment and shows and I think some music styled shows are great in my opinion; maybe even give Save My Park as an entertainment offering with or without an orchestra
3.) Yes Harlem Globetrotters
4.) A great hotel nearby with hotel guests offerings; I hope that's the case since this is part of my itinerary in a future vacation to Kentucky for whenever Nascar races at Kentucky Speedway.
5.) Keys to the Kingdom can be another themed event that can either focus on Coaster Enthusiasts or Medieval Times style LARP entertainment; I'm hoping the Coaster Enthusiasts route, but I wouldn't be surprised nor disappointed with the latter option.
KENTUCKY KINGDOM CINNAMON BREAD!!!
Yes please
They annonced it’s coming
@@wrestlingandamusementparkl7789 where
@@fatapolsky5711 where it be i m not sure. I m thinking scoops ice cream parlor
KFC Cinnamon bread
Herschend could buy Six Flags America, rename it "American Adventure", and theme it to the history of the United States , a Herschend version of the cancelled Disney's America.
That name would also fit in with one of the historical names of the park, Adventure World. (Prior to that, it was called Wild World and included a safari/zoo.) Personally I would love to see it, but there is an insane amount of revisionism happening to American History, and I can't imagine anyone other than a determined independent operator taking that approach... particularly in Prince George's County.
This makes me feel a lot better about the acquisition but now I’m nervous about The Big Kahuna being phased out 😬💦 It only happens once per hour & you’re given plenty of warning.
Herschend should try to acquire Frontier City. They could do wonderful things with the western theme
It is getting kicked around. They managed FC before and Premier is looking to unload it.
If Ed Hart wasn't on this planet this video wouldn't even excist🤔🤭. So thanks to you Ed Hart👏🏻🙌🏻
I don't understand how herschend isn't the biggest chain. Everything they touch turns to gold
Wild Adventures would like to have a word
Eh, not everything.
Wild Adventures who?
@@lukefarley9221 And Celebration City
Herschend is my favorite park company, Dollywood is amazing.
Hopefully this will be good for the park! 🤞
I think this is a good decision by them, it's gonna help out the industry a bit I reckon
I’m so excited for the charm that’s gonna come to this park
I'm honestly thrilled with this move. Kentucky Kingdom is my home park and I gotta say, it has a very very bright future. I can't wait to see the seasonal events, especially it Christmas event and Hopefully they bring back Halloscream. Plus I love to have the Cinnamon bread.
Kentucky Kingdom isn't the greatest park, yet you can't help but feel the love for it given it's bumpy history. Most of the other parks I visited during my trip were better than KK, but I still had a great day, and the Mexican food I had there was to die for 😆
I wish them all the best, and I hope they install a shrine for Ed Hart 😍😆
I think it will be treated like Wild Adventures. Not necessarily destroy all the big rides, but just not get any big investments.
Everyone in the comments section: *hoping it doesn't end up like Wild Adventures with no major investments*
Herschend: *smiles as they plan to RMC Cheetah*
Ky Kingdom is my home park and it desperately needs THEMING; there's not much at all, so I know will really make the park come to life!
I was just thinking that when I went to Kentucky kingdom yesterday (it’s my home park too), the lack of theming really bothers me since in most other amusement parks I’ve been to they always have some neat theming for their rides, but Kentucky Kingdom barely has any theming at all. I think the only rides that have some kind of theming are the river rapids ride, and Kentucky Flyer.
Ever since the teaser and rumors I was skeptical about this being a good move for Kentucky Kingdom, but it definitely looks like Herschend has a great plan for the park and that the overall experience will be improved. It doesn’t seem like Kentucky Kingdom will get neglected like it might have under other chains.
Great decision and move by Ed Hart, finding what seems like the right company to take over.
My new question is what other parks might Herschend acquire and will they sell Wild Adventures?
@Zacheroni Considering that park will be forced to relocate I don’t think Herschend even wants to think about Elitch. I was thinking more along the lines of Frontier City.
It would be interesting if SeaWorld bought wild adventures from them
I loved how in-detail you went! Great explanation, made me think about the park's future. Once again, good job!
You put this exactly how I would. Herschend does an amazing job with Dollywood and Silver Dollar City, here's hoping Kentucky Kingdoms future is brighter than ever now.
It would be very interesting if Herschend ever decided to offer up an equivalent to Cedar Fair Platinum pass. Include visits and parking to the 4 amusement parks and maybe discounts on some of their other properties. I think this would drive cross visits to the parks as KK is only 4.5 hours from Dollywood and Silver Dollar City is less than 8 hours so still a days drive. I am in Cincy and I might by a pass just to hit up KK and Dolly if they offered such and then I would likely plan a trip out to SDC.
I would argue that most people wouldn't use this benefit or even know the parks were related. Even today I don't think Cedar Fair gets a lot of cross visitation with their platinum passes (maybe other than Kings Island and Cedar Point). Six Flags is more marketable in that aspect.
I just hope Jefferson is still able to run KK social media platforms😁
He is!
@@CoasterStudios Awesome! Onion 2.0 coming to the kitchen in summer 2022?
Ed Hart is leaving? Dang man, I couldn't think about KK without thinking Ed Hart. Hopeful for the future though.
I wonder if the park will end up getting a western theme. Thank you for making this informative video!
Why would it? It’s in the south.
@@slimlouis6441 you know that I mean a cowboy theme like Dollywood, right?
As soon as I heard the news about this yesterday, I was excited. Herschend is the best company by far to sell the park to. It will be in good hands and I do believe that over time Herschend will build it up to the same quality and standards of their amazing Silver Dollar City and Dollywood. If this is your local park, you just won the amusement park lottery. :)
On one hand, I'm a HUGE fan of what Ed has done to revitalize the place. KK has always been my 2nd home park outside of KI, but I never really saw reason to invest in more than one visit every few years until recent years-not to mention things like their amazing social media team and last year creating their own park event DURING COVID. On the other, if they had to sell out, glad its Herschend to take the reigns, since they generally know what their doing (except maybe demolishing the signature attraction at Wild Adventures, RIP Cheetah, but maybe that had to do with getting funding to aquire KK). Honestly, my one big hope is Herschend will introduce some sort of universal season pass like the Platinum Pass/SF passes etc. I would LOVE to be able to visit Dollywood more often, and going back to SDC (since my only visit was during the 2 years they actually had Buzzsaw Falls) is WAY up on my US bucketlist....
It would be cool if Kennywood was acquired by Herschend.
Yeah especially with all the reviews I’ve heard
The best part of the acquisition is the food. Dollywood and Silver Dollar City have the best theme park food I’ve ever had. Hopefully they take some of Louisville’s history into account and create some amazing bourbon flavored dishes.
Imagine if herschend bought glenwood caverns 😱
Yeah, Glenwood is definitely not for sale! 😉 That's a labor of love there!
I haven't decided if I like this or not as my new home park. I see things like free drinks, low ticket prices and all that flying out the window with this move but if we could get some more coasters that stack up to storm chaser I would be all for it!
I’m soooo excited. I already had some inside info that this was coming but I’m so excited this is official!
I think this will overall be a great move for Kentucky Kingdom. There is so much opportunity for increased theming throughout the park that I think they will work on creating. Will be very nice!
It'd be really great if Herschend would start to offer a Platinum Pass that would include all 3 Parks in the future.
They do offer 50% off ticket prices if you have a season pass to any of them.
@@eloramaxwell7020 yeah I waited 2 hours at SDC on a Weekday to use that discount, not the best or most viable way to obtain it. They're running a Multi Billion Dollar Chain, it's not hard to get all your Parks on the same system.
Kentucky Kingdom is gonna get even better! It will have more live entertainment, which I felt like it needed for years. I can’t wait to see what characters get to roam around the park. And they better keep adding coasters 🙂
I Hate to see Ed Leave KK .. he's been there for so long and had so much to do with this park and it's survival, As did you Taylor .. your Doc on this park helped so much & I Wanna thank you for taking the time to help save KK .. I Can only hope the New Managment is good. I Hoped for this too when Six Flags took over KK .. and i'm sorry but they destroyed the park to a point i didnt think it would ever come back from. but Again Mr Hart stepped in and revived KK. I Just may have to buy a KK Season Pass this year
This is going to be interesting to watch. It's nice that Kentucky Kingdom is receiving a little more stability. I'm curious to their approach, as Kentucky Kingdom is far different from their other two parks, and I wonder how they'll implement what they know. However, if they develop this into a family-focused park, that may provide interesting results, especially considering that other nearby parks focusing on thrill, particularly King's Island, are in the nearby area.
Kentucky Kingdom will always have one big problem........ the State Fair Board.
I love Herschend and have faith that they will run this park well.
As Kentucky kingdom being my 2nd home park, I am happy, this might bring competition to holiday world
As a Kentucky resident I must say I am excited by this announcement. I have never visited Kentucky Kingdom because it was the same drive to Kings Island and I found their season passes to have more value. I look foward to some competition for Kings Island now in the next few years!
Herschend is very good company for making parks great! Especially Dollywood! 👍
I hope this is for the best, with proper management this could be a great park
“Save My Park 2” Coming soon...😂
Coaster studios Rocks!! Thank you for such top tier quality content!
God I'd kill for Herschend to buy Merlin, Thorpe Park or any other UK park with the view of building it up to a Dollywood/SDC level. I'm so jealous.
The same day the news came out I was running through how Adventure World and Kentucky Kingdom were briefly two of the top parks in the chain when Premier Parks ran them.
something i think is also worth noting is that ed heart was against adding a launch coaster, even though us enthusiasts know it is a perfect fit, so maybe that is back on the table now
Ed hart was against launch coasters but maybe we can get one now.
@@patrickspiers4811 yeah thats my point and thats what i hope, its a perfect fit
Just keep that good feels Kentucky vibe and I'll be happy
I think they could do a mystery mine type ride probably a erou fighter because Kentucky has more history of coal mineing than Tennessee does expanded lore like after the mine shut down all the minors were transferred to Kentucky and the curse followed them
From what I see the land locked status will keep this a regional amusement park. Can't grow without land. Great video Taylor!
And now all of my top three parks are owned by Herschend:D
I could really see KK getting a launch coaster or a Euro Fighter I think that those two would fit this park perfect.
Herschend owns the rights to Chuggington and Splash and Bubbles, so that's what they might mean by "Herschend owned properties"?
I think it's gonna be somewhere in between wild adventures and silver dollar city (I think Dollywood is in a different league because with that Herschend gets to spend some of dolly parton's money). I would expect occasional large attractions, but not at the rate that sdc gets stuff. Definitely think the biggest changes will be with festivals and general feel of the park (landscaping, beauty, etc.).
While I'm sad I never got to visit the park while Ed Hart owned it, I think CS is right in that this probably was in the cards all along, and that Herschend is probably the best operator around for the park.
And if Herschend is into buying more parks, the I say bring it on!! I'm praying for the day someone buys Wild Waves!
This is one of my two home parks (the other being Holiday World). I am SO pleased with what Ed Hart has done, especially considering the state Six Flags left the place in. I sincerely hope the park continues on the trajectory Mr. Hart has created.
Definitely interested to see what they do with the park, and I hope big things for the park's future
I’m excited to see what herschend will bring I mean extending the season is gonna be a plus for me I have been to the park since 2006 when it was six flags I’m so excited to come back when they open maybe you will see me there
I rly hope they still get amazing coasters tho
I do have some small concerns like I hope they don't have any disputes with the Kentucky Fair Grounds like what happened Six Flags and I hope they treat this place better than they do Wild Adventures. However I kind of also hope that they acquire Magic Springs in Arkansas next. Why? Because Ed Hart used to operate that park as well and I feel like that place needs a lot of attention as well.
I am very excited for it I am looking forward to it
Kentucky kingdom is my home park here are my thoughts. We are 10 weeks out from opening day so I don’t expect to much this year Ableast . They announced that there will be events coming to the park. Maybe not this year but down the line. As for alcohol I m not sure. Free soft drinks for out of state I m not sure either. Also not to mention switching to coke from Pepsi. Maby not this year. Also be interesting getting rides like eye of the storm and Scream extreme light packages at night.
Im planning on visiting Kentucky Kingdom this summer for the first time
As long as they dump that VEKOMA T3, things will get better!
We see.
It runs with KumbaK trains with vest restraints. That's an improvement over the Vekoma head destroyers.
This is very interesting I hope the park continues to grow
Hi Taylor - my suggestion is a ranking of park LAYOUTS, where you rank their midways/pathways etc and the overall structure of the park. Just an idea!
I think it’s great! Dollywood and Silver Dollar Cory are among the best parks in the country. I know they will still be the flag ships but Kentucky Kingdom is an already established park. I don’t think anything they do will hurt the park, only improve it. I would hate to see them strip it of everything that makes it unique, but I still think they will do awesome things with it.
This is fantastic. Herschend knows how to run a theme park!
Just glad Six Flags didn't buy it again
they probably couldn't even afford it lmao
IKR
@@emonadeo when has that ever stopped Six Flagd 😂
I WISH they did! >:(
Sounds like a good fit. This seems like it will be a slow transition. I don’t know much about Herschend’s other past parks, but I know about how Six Flags turns everything to garbage, and cedar fair is good at selling off that garbage. Geauga lake was my home park. Thank God for Ed Hart. If Herschend works out a smooth transition and work well with the logistics of the park and the state fair board, this could continue to be a great family amusement park. They should certainly know they have strong local and regional support and as long as the locals keep them honest, then the park will thrive.
I hope this works out well for KK. Herschend also operated Elitch Gardens for a few years and nothing ever happened.
Yeah Im fairly excited and think this is a positive. Ive seen so much worrying over this, which makes me chuckle because enthusiasts rave about DW/SDC and crap on anything "corporate" but then I saw people saying "shame tis is going corporate" Im like.....wait lol
They are quick to cite how Wild Adventures or Celebration City flopped but eh, idk feels different. At the least I dont get why people just assume it'll be left to stagnate and is run into the ground. Given how the past decade has gone....I see no reason to doubt Herschend unless they prove otherwise. Im sure this will be good for the park. It may not be the next DW or SDC but some investment would make it a smash hit!!
It seems to me enthusiasts keep getting hung up on the word "corporate" like they dont get that any amusement park even a single, family owned one, is a corporation lol likewise though big chains come with downsides they also come with upsides, like $$ to invest.
Admiration for the speed you’ve pulled this together, great job and very informative. Your documentary is a big part of why I want to visit this park and I’m kinda sad Ed Hart won’t be around when I’ll be there next year (should have been this year but oh well).
This is awesome, the park was saaaaaved
Being from Kentucky this park means a lot to me. It’s not the biggest or the best but it’s come a long way in the past decade and I honestly think this is a good thing! (Or at least I hope so, given its past lol) I didn’t get to attend the Halloween event, although I would’ve loved to, but I agree I don’t think they will bring it back or if they do it will be more of a fall festival, and definitely be more family oriented. Especially considering that Waverly Hills is near by if you want a good scare 😂
Love all y’all’s videos!
I personally think Herschend will attempt to bring back Hall-o-Scream due to the fact that Kentucky Kingdom already has all the props, set pieces and costumes for the event.
at least cedar fair didn't get it. Don't get me wrong cedar fair is a good company, but if they bought Kentucky Kingdom it would probably end up being another Geauga lake type of park. But, I do look forwards to visiting soon!
So long as they don't replace the media team, I'm good 😂
I hope Hershend buys Great Escape. The park has a ton of potential if an owner who wants to invest in it, especially given that there is a resort on property. The park certainly has it's charm and it's not as "in the middle of no where" as it looks on the map, being that it's right off the interstate, a ton of people from NYC and Montreal vecation in the Adarondaks, and Albany just 1 hr away is certainly not to be scoffed at.
I'd like to see Herschend offer a season pass that works at all of their amusement parks.
I would love for Herschend to use this as an opportunity to add a “platinum style” upgrade to dollywood passes to include Kentucky kingdom and silver dollar city
Now that they have three parks in different markets.... two massive tourism markets and one "holding its own and gaining ground" tourism market..... a program where certain levels of season passes are honored at all three parks might just be in the works. It makes sense and dollars and cents.
hopefully herschend will buy out the fair ground and make the park bigger
Not happening.
But there is empty land to the south between it and the airport that might be possible if the FAA allowed.
This could be bad for Holiday World too
Not really. Holiday World is a vacation destination all on its own. Kentucky Kingdom isn't at that level.... people vacation in Louisville for other reasons and while they're there, they hit KK.
Honestly Herscend should ackowledge the heavy potentional considering the park's only competition is literally one smaller park that happens to have a solid GCI. A bonus of this could also be deciding the hyper-chance GTX model would go well in many other parks. Actually, I couldn't think of a better new addition for Frontier City, I feel like it's only a matter of a year or two before six flags is off that one. If it'd inspire six flags to follow though that'd be nice. Minus the "hyper coaster airtime hill" seqments towards the end of the one model it'd be unique even in those with B&M hypers or just others already with a lot of that.
One quick correction. Dollywood offered an unlimited soft drink wristband this past year for $7.
Ah yes time to give storm chaser a launch
They better keep the prices the same because they were so cheap for such a good park
Unpopular opinion? Herchend is the best management team for amusement parks in the country (Disney excluded, although perhaps closer than expected).
Harshend should also purchase The Great Escape in Lake George, New York and Marineland in Canada.
I think they won't really raise ticket prices because of the median income of people in the area. Also im sure they will look at data that shows where most of their guests are coming from. Great video as always 👍
With this being my home park, I’m visioning the possibility of the RMC raptor and a launch coaster getting added to the park.
I hope the prices don’t skyrocket.
Ok guys think this through,
What type of ride does this park desperately need?
A launched looper,
What manufacturer has Herschend recently worked with that can make this kind of ride?
Most people would instantly jump to Mack, but they are forgetting some things.
1. There is another manufacturer that can make one that BOTH Herschend AND KK have worked with recently in the past.
2. This Park is a very thoosie friendly park and are pretty knowledgable about what people would like to see in the park (and in the US).
3. This could be the test park for Herschend to see if certain types of rides would work well for the bigger parks.
I think its about time we see them come...
The one,
The only,
Vekoma...
Probably means a bright future for the park.
I think they will do an great job as the owners
Good thoughts. An important footnote is while HFE may not own all the land (Hart owned a small part, and I assume that land comes with the deal), just like Six Flags, they do own the assets. It's also worth noting that Craig Ross was VP/GM at PKI for a long time so he is familiar with this crowded market (KI, HW, IB, etc). The park did make a public statement today confirming alcohol sales will remain- good move. HFE used to have the rights to use the Rudolph characters in their parks- not sure if that is still the case. At one point Dollywood also had VeggieTales--popular with kids. Not sure about that, either. They are also good at creating their own characters- see the Snow Angel at Stone Mountain. I think KK also has their own Louie the Lion character. I see this move as a net positive.
I wish they would buy Kennywood, Palace is broke af