I wish every park had a sky ride and a train.
Concepts Think Tank
- Thread starter Shane
- Start date
That would require A LOT of tree removal.
BUT THE TREE REMOVAL WOULD BE WORTH IT
I would trade ALL the rethemes for a full skyline package.
They could, but the problem is it would cost millions and not really bring any new guests. A Skyride or train or any transport ride is great, but it’s not “marketable”— no one except a diehard few make a trip to a park for them. It also takes people away from the games/food/merchandise they have to walk past between attractions. Most parks are focused on those as impulse spending from guests— put the stuffed animals, delicious food/drink, souvenir where people see it (and kids demand it) and they spend money they didn’t intend to. If they’re flying above it or riding past it, they’re not stopping and spending.
At this point parks that don’t have any transportation rides won’t see new ones installed unless they are used to connect parks in a property.
At this point parks that don’t have any transportation rides won’t see new ones installed unless they are used to connect parks in a property.
I agreed until last year when Legoland New York announced their new skyride. It proves that a good, guest-experience-focused, family park—even a chain one—can find a path to justify the addition of a new transportation ride today.
I don't think Six Flags is likely to make that calculus, but now we have a comp to point to in order to show that it's not impossible.
A better layout I think for a new skyride to fit KD in its current state would be a double line linking Jungle X to Old VA. Starting at Mt. Kilimanjaro, crossing perpendicular to I-Street past Delerium, over the Antique cars with the other station next to the creek and Grizzly Gulch. It requires very little tree removal besides a spot or two for towers in the cars area and is a great way to see essentially the entire park.
Mount Kilimanjaro itself and Grizzly Falls Arcade building could actually perhaps be repurposed/renovated into skyride stations for this route as well. They line up quite nicely. Mount Kiimanjaro still has electrical service for the Bayern Curve that was housed in there years ago.
Mount Kilimanjaro itself and Grizzly Falls Arcade building could actually perhaps be repurposed/renovated into skyride stations for this route as well. They line up quite nicely. Mount Kiimanjaro still has electrical service for the Bayern Curve that was housed in there years ago.
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That would be neat, I guess, but I feel like Unless they finally make use of all of the land they own to the east of the rail road tracks and make an entire new land out there, the only way a skyride at 2020's KD would make sense is to have it go from near the entrance to the water park. Any other route doesn't make that much sense. Anyone know if they can put a curve in them? I'm thinking lift up, turn, ride/decend. You could put one stop in the dominator area, where there is so much unused space, have it hook around either side of Woodstock Express, and then down to the water park area (line placement approximate, there is plenty of wiggle room - around the north side of Woodstock would probably be better, and involve fewer trees removed, but the tool in paint didn't want to cooperate.)
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Without a mid station, they're usually only capable of turning just a couple degrees.
Hot take I guess with this convo - I don't believe KD needs a transport ride.
The park is relatively flat, easy to walk around, rides are grouped around each other. I would say what they need to do more than a transport ride is work to understand how to "infill" the other areas around the park that are "dead" in terms of rides, games, and shops. Then fill in a few extra quiet shaded paths like the backside of I-Street to CAG, the covered walkway from OV to CAG.
The park is relatively flat, easy to walk around, rides are grouped around each other. I would say what they need to do more than a transport ride is work to understand how to "infill" the other areas around the park that are "dead" in terms of rides, games, and shops. Then fill in a few extra quiet shaded paths like the backside of I-Street to CAG, the covered walkway from OV to CAG.
Infilling more rides means less trees. KD has been growing into one of the more naturally beautiful amusement parks out there. I'd rather the park remain sprawling and wooded than more densely packed with attractions. The park has an absurd amount of land—I'd prefer they use it.
Also, a transport ride to the water park is not a good idea at all in my opinion. It massively limits the usefulness and operating calendar of the attraction.
Also, a transport ride to the water park is not a good idea at all in my opinion. It massively limits the usefulness and operating calendar of the attraction.
Fair enough. And I’m not picturing paving paradise so to speak, just more something in between and less condensing to areas.
Just for example what I have in mind - the space around Delirium is still open. Move the funnel cakes to one side of it. Ring toss and Lemonade to the other side, now you can put in a bigger more welcoming Soak City entrance and put in outdoor shaded seating for Victorias. Put something in the infield area of Dominator where the path turns up to Boo Blasters where there’s some clearing space. Move one of the flats for Planet Snoopy to the unused space across from Woodstock and put in a snack stand.
If you put the terminus at the front of the water park, that's also the back of the dry park. So this criticism is not really valid - whether or not the park would benefit at all from a transpo ride is fair game for debate though. 100% agree with you on making more use of the empty land they own though. There is actually more unused land than used land that they own - there's no need for infill or ride removals to expand.
Just for reference on most direct paths from front gate to most distance part of the park:
KD - ~2100 feet
BGW - ~3400 feet.
Even if at BGW you walked in, went to the train, rode to New France, then Skyride to Germany it’s still ~2400 feet. Not to mention adding in the wait times to go on all of those or wait for the train to arrive.
EDIT - For the record, I’m not anti-transport rides, more I’m thinking the logic doesn’t make a lot of sense.
If, and big if to me, KD decided to expand it would likely be beyond P-305 and beyond TT, which then a train that wraps around the park with stops at Old Virginia, the new spot beyond TT, new spot beyond P-305, back by Reptilian. IMO the issue then becomes how do you get back around. Having a turn around and parallel tracks comes with an issue. Going above/below grade is going to be really expensive. And going outside the park doesn’t make sense. Maybe you can do a monorail but I’m not sure how much those cost.
KD - ~2100 feet
BGW - ~3400 feet.
Even if at BGW you walked in, went to the train, rode to New France, then Skyride to Germany it’s still ~2400 feet. Not to mention adding in the wait times to go on all of those or wait for the train to arrive.
EDIT - For the record, I’m not anti-transport rides, more I’m thinking the logic doesn’t make a lot of sense.
If, and big if to me, KD decided to expand it would likely be beyond P-305 and beyond TT, which then a train that wraps around the park with stops at Old Virginia, the new spot beyond TT, new spot beyond P-305, back by Reptilian. IMO the issue then becomes how do you get back around. Having a turn around and parallel tracks comes with an issue. Going above/below grade is going to be really expensive. And going outside the park doesn’t make sense. Maybe you can do a monorail but I’m not sure how much those cost.
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I don't think you *need* a transportation ride to actually get anywhere. It's just a great, relaxing thing to do when you want to take a break from the thrill rides, and a good way to see the park, especially if it runs you through areas and/or vantage points you can't otherwise get. Though if it also gets you from point A to point B, that's an excellent bonus.
I can only speak for myself when I say if KD added a train and/or sky ride, I would definitely visit the park in part to ride them.
I can only speak for myself when I say if KD added a train and/or sky ride, I would definitely visit the park in part to ride them.
honestly, an elevated sight-seeing loop around the park would be a fun leisurely activity on a tiring hot day
Even better, what about a observation tower with elevators to the top? maybe even model it off the Eiffel tower, similar to what Kings Island has maybe. Just a thought.
ok, here the thing, the spaces where the train ride & skyway were have been taken over by other things, so I don't think the skyway & train ride would come back, sorry, just a unpopular opinion (maybe the skyway would come back)