One Day, 2 Parks, 2 States, 2 Time Zones: My Experience at Kentucky Kingdom & Holiday World 

The worst thing about the coaster industry is that we tend to over hype rides to the point where even the best rides are letting people down.

I had a dream that Chris came to my house to talk about coasters

Holiday World is family run and just seems to be run with a little more care than the corporate parks. Its water park is absolutely enormous. My son is a big waterslide fan so we spent the majority of our time there. Free drinks are great, but also free sunscreen, which is more important in the water park. My opinion of how it is run is similar to what you just posted about Lagoon, and my enjoyment with my sons were a lot like yours with Sophie.

Holiday World is my home park. I am getting a job there soon. I think Voyage is absolutely the best wooden coaster I've ridden. I have not yet ridden El Toro, though, and I plan to next summer. Can't wait until Holiwood Nights this year!

I always love seeing praise for Holiday World. It used to be my home park and I used to go almost every year. I haven't been since the 2013 season so I haven't ridden Thunderbird yet, but I'm planning on a trip in late July. And I grew up on Brick Oven pizza so I can confirm it is a great affordable place to eat.

Holiday World is often like that. The water park is just so good. If you haven't ridden the water coasters there, you should definitely fit them in your next visit. especially with the new one for this year.

I have not yet visited Kentucky Kingdom but the new management and recent woody additions look intriguing and I hope to visit soon. I have been to Holiday World a number of times dating back to before The Legend when The Raven was voted by Golden Ticket as the best wooden coaster in the world. The last time I was there was in 2006. I believe The Voyage was new that year. My experience on the Voyage was much like yours. It was violent and I certainly had a headache afterward. It should be mentioned that I rode it in the last car. The other two woodies were very positive experiences for me that day. My previous visit was the "Stark Raven Mad" event in 2002. I remember The Legend and The Raven being especially fun at night and I didn't have any issues with either one riding in the last car. Of course I was much younger then with fewer injuries in my history and I know wooden coasters change over time! That being said, we are signed up for the Hollywood Nights event this year (2020) which will be themed after one of our all time favorite movies: "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"! We are both well into our 60s now. My memories go all the way back to Riverside Amusement Park in Indianapolis. I also have many fond memories of Indiana Beach! I'm not done yet! Our travels have taken us to some remarkable places which are much more interesting than theme parks (imagine that!) but I have never lost my fondness for coasters! Every now and then I need to prove to myself I can still do it.

Great timing we’re all bored right now.

Absolute bucket list parks

Believe it or not, but The Legend and Thunder Run are both in my top five woodies. I love rides that feel out of control and The Legend did it for me. Plus Thunder Run has some GREAT airtime. I love MOST old woodies that still use PTC trains.

“After White Castle we made our way to Santa Claus.”

In my opinion the voyage is the best wooden coaster in the world (if you don’t count hybrids) it’s got incredible height, speed and length it’s amazing

Love this idea of these small parks, A.T. While they may not pack the punch of a Six Flags or Cedar Fair park, the small perks (FREE sodas??!... what??) and the fact that I just HAVE to ride The Voyage at some point in my life, really makes me want to visit them both! Yet another excellent video from the master.

I did the same exact thing this past June with a friend. Started at KK and finished at HW. Crowds were pretty low at both parks even though it was a Saturday. Of course KK was running one train on every coaster. We were lucky with HW though because it was one of days where it was open late so we got a nice pitch black night front row ride on Voyage. It was also the last train of the day.

I did Kings Island and Cedar point in one day. (I live in Cincinnati and we had lots of money so me and my best friend got both of the crown jewels of the cedar fair chain. I think mystic timbers, the beast and steel vengeance are the best)

These might be two fo the top 5 waterparks in the country. I can't believe you didn't do any slides, especially on a hot day.

Last time I visited these parks was 2018. I was planning on going back this year for Holiwood Nights and Keys to the Kingdom, but who knows if these events are going to happen and how long the virus will last. My thoughts about Kentucky Kingdom are similar to yours. Storm Chaser is elite and has the strongest RMC air time outside of Lightning Rod and maybe the raptors. Lightning Run is a good coaster but not elite. T3 is garbage and is the worst coaster that I've ridden. My thoughts about Holiday World are the following: I visited on a hot day so the free drinks were awesome. I had the similar experience, lines were short as people were in the water park. I like the Voyage more than you. Thought Thunderbird was by far and away the best wing coaster I have been on, and I prefer the Raven to Legend. All 4 coasters are in my Top 50 overall. It is one of the best parks I have been to.

Sorry to hear Raven wasn't running well for you. That thing is a hidden gem for me, there was one visit I literally marathoned it for an hour because it was running insanely well and there was no wait.

"I popped some advil in the parking lot to preemptively fight against the brain damage" 😂 Thank you for this 😂😂

Love both parks!!! Also I did the exact same thing you did. Kentucky Kingdom tickets thru my job. 2 days free soda and only went 1 day. Best deal I could find. Liked the park so much got a season pass this year.

Hey man I really love your videos and remember seeing you at six flags for the VIP tour! Keep up the great work!

I went to Holiday World a few years ago. I don't remember much, but my favorite ride was the Mammoth Water Coaster.

Kentucky Kingdom and Holiday World are some parks I should go to one day!

I ALWAYS go to the Plymouth Rock Cafe when I’m at HW. I absolutely love their Thanksgiving dinner in the middle of the summer! When that turkey is fresh… Oh my God! Heaven. I really really love Holiday world. Kentucky Kingdom is growing on me.

Never done 2 different parks in one day but I've been to each of these many times in the past (90s and early 2000s). Will have to go again to check out the wing coaster at HW and Lightning Run at KK as I've yet to ride either of those. Anyone remember CHANG formerly at Kentucky Kingdom? I remember graying out on the loop of that one. Seem to recall it saying it pulled 5Gs but could be mistaken.

Quarantine Coaster Video! Aww yeee

Both parks I would really love to visit. They seem pretty awesome. Woodies are some of my favorite coasters so Holiday World seems right up my alley.

Loving the content, thank you for all the work you put into these.

KK is our home park! Just want to say I Love your videos, and your travels have inspired my family to take a multi park vacation over this summer! Thank you for all your great videos!

Being a family owned park, HW probably provides the best value of any amusement park. $40 gets you into both parks, free drinks, free sunscreen, free parking and generally manageable wait time. I'd spend 3x's that at Disney or Universal and most my day would consist of standing in line.

I still don’t know how people fit 2 parks in 1 day- I’m impressed though!

I'm hoping to check out both of these parks this summer! This video was super helpful... I can't wait to experience it all for myself.

The fact that these two Parks are so close to each other is worth the drive.

It's amazing to see so many good reviews on my home park KK. With all the negative stigma surrounding this state, atleast our park is nice 🤣

I'm heading to Holiday world for my first visit in early June. The friend that I am going with praises Voyage as the best coaster in the world. We'll see if it lives up to the hype.

I love this channel. The editing is great and I love the use of 360 cam.

Thanks for the time zone tip! Hoping to get out there this summer

when I went to Holiday world my brother thought that Legend was better than voyage. Man the Gp's mind can be Interesting.

KK is my home park. HW is great! Nice reviews!

These are my 2 home parks and they both have great but different qualities. I rode Voyage this year multiple times and it is smoother in my opinion. I do have to disagree with your assessment of Lighting Run, however, if you rode in the back, I can understand why. I think I have probably ridden in every seat on that ride, but for me, I like the front the best. But I do definitely agree that Storm Chaser is the boss! Keep the great videos coming. We love watching

You should have gone on T3 when it first opened as T2. Dear god that heart spiral loop. It loved to slam the right side of your hip into the restraint as hard as it could. On top of that when it first opened it had a very unique element no other coaster had. When one of the employees check your restraint they would also punch you in the face. Saying "trust me it will help with the loop"....... Ok that part wasn't true.

Congrats on the new credit 😂 I am hoping to get back to Holiday World this year. I went in 2015 and I didn't get Legend as it was being retracked at the time. It's a shame it is so rough. I actually have always loved It's layout..... Also, them people at Brick Oven Pizza 😂😅

Airtime Thrills will help me get through the coronavirus

I did both parks in same trip along with Indiana beach. I love Kentucky Kingdom and Lightning run

Excellent timing. I'm planning a similar trip later this year. Good to know it's possible.

I still haven't been to Holiday World, hoping to go to HoliWood Nights. My Kentucky Kingdom visit was a short one, but I was very impressed. I wanted more time there so badly. I did get a couple great rides on Lightning Run, but Storm Chaser easily stole the show. No coaster has exceeded my expectations more than Storm Chaser!

Never been to kk but I love holiday world. It’s one of my favorite parks and voyage is my #1. I’ve been there 8 times and I can never get enough of the park.

Holiday World is my home park and is my number one park ever. I have so many good memories of the park, and the owners of the park genuinely care about the customers, more so than any park I’ve ever been to. The main park is awesome, and Splashing Safari is one of the best water parks I’ve ever been to. To anyone considering visiting our awesome state and our awesome park, please do! Come in May or August for the shortest lines, and plan to spend a whole day here. For one ticket price of ~60 bucks you get the main park, free soda, free parking, free sunscreen, and Splashing Safari is totally free. If you haven’t been to this park, come to the Hoosier state and try it out. It’s awesome (Sorry if this read like an advert, I just adore my home park) Oh and also the rumor around here is that next we’re going to get a more full-length steel coaster, but I’m not sure how legit those rumors are. I guess we’ll see

I’m going to these 2 parks on the first day on my honeymoon later this year - so excited!! ... please be open 😩

Holiday World could always redo Legend with the GCI steel track if it for cheaper than RMC.

Love your channel. So, HW and KK are my two home parks so I felt the need to just share a couple of my personal opinions.... Back seat on Lightning Run absolutely sucks, but front is pretty amazing. I know, not riding backseat sounds counterintuitive, but this is an exception. But yeah, absolutely, Storm Chaser is pretty boss. You are 100% right, Kentucky Flyer is the perfect family coaster. The front is great for my young daughter. My teen son and I dig the back pretty well. Legend, like Lightning Run, is better in the front. Row 11 on Voyage is the magic seat. Final thought, if you ever do eat a meal at HW, the food is AMAZING. Plymouth Rock Cafe... Are you kidding me? It's a full on Thanksgiving meal. Keep the great content coming!!!!

I’m thinking about doing this on my coaster road trip. Thanks for this video.

As a Kentuckian. Loo-Ee-Ville was funny. (We pronounce it Loo-uh-vulle). Sorta like foreigners pronounce Nevada Ne-vah-duh. This is a great video though. I love both of these parks so much! My home park is KI but I go to KK and HW multiple times a year as well!

Its nearly Midnight here in germany But man do i have to watch this Video now !

Pretty awesome that you were able to pull this off, I myself wouldn’t try it but that’s pretty respectable. For Kiddie coaster credits I try to ride them when nearly no one else is around.

2 great parks in the area where I live. I love going there so much cause that is the closest park to me.

9:50 Voyage without trims looks like it hauls.

KK is my home park! Roller Skater was my first coaster

My home parks. Live 40 miles (roughtly) from Kentucky Kingdom and 119 (roughly) from Holiday World

As someone who grew up in Louisville. We always went to holiday world despite the drive. I think it’s worth it.

Cyclos is an insane ride! I loved it!!

If Holiday World would focus on expanding the theme park rather then the already huge water park, this place could be a destination park. What's weird is that Holiday World is incredibly well-known just because both the Voyage and Thunderbird were undeniably huge and notable installations, and because they have a huge marketing budget since Santa Claus, Indiana is hardly a town. But as of now the park honestly feels like a roadside tourist attraction you'd find in Pigeon Forge or Branson and not a fully-fledged amusement park worth traveling a far distance to. In 15 years when they have hopefully added 2-3 more large scale attractions this place will be awesome since the 4 full sized coasters they do have are all incredible. Not many places can say that about their collection

I visited Cedar Point, Kings Island, Kentucky Kingdom, and Holiday World in 2019. I had a blast.

When i went to KK i was also there for about 5 hours. I got 10 on Kentucky Flyer and 25 on Storm Chaser. I got all of the other creds too but i dont remember how many times i rode LR. Im going to guess around 5 times. Overall great day and perfect final park before I took the 5 min journey to the airport across the street.

MY HOME PARK ON MY B-DAY no longer my home park I am closer to Kings Island now.

I just did Magic Mountain and Knotts, then Knotts/MM/Knotts, then MM/Knotts/MM, and the last day was more Knotts and a little MM before the trek home. Best January weather ever, decent lines, I was gonna go do it again in 2 weeks!! Oh well

That looks like an awesome trip. I went to Kentucky kingdom and holiday world back in October. I loved lightning run and storm chaser. Storm chaser was definitely a better ride to me, too, though. Holiday worlds wooden coasters were very rough. Felt like my brain was shook loose. Could only take one ride a piece on those. The voyage wasn’t open because of the retracking. I got about 6 walk on rides on thunderbird, 3 on each side. It was a pretty steady rain and it the rain stung pretty good on that launch in the front seat 😂. I definitely prefer thunderbird over wild eagle though.

What a creative Title!

Ok, I swear I saw you at Holiwood Nights one year during the water cup challenge, but this was before I knew your channel

Ive been to both of these and Kings Island, though I havent been to Kings Island in a few years, since Son of Beast closed, rode that a little before it closed... Id personally rank them Holiday World, Six flags Kentucky Kingdom, King Island, then Kentucky Kingdom as it is now. Ive been to Kentucky Kingdom prior to, during, and after Six flag’s ownership. I have to admit Storm Chaser was a much needed addition to the new rendition of the park. Thunder Run was my first coaster and I’ll always love it. Kentucky Flier is pretty great Edit to say Kentucky Kingdom is my home park and its a good time on a nice mild day in May. Also to say, I personally like wooden coasters more than steel coasters, Im surprised to hear how bad Legend has gotten though...

Moral of the story: "Thunder" is very common as part of a rollercoaster name

I want to do both parks as well. But not on the same day. Kentucky Kingdom on one day, Holiday World on another day and maybe even Kings Island on another day as well. But I am personally waiting until Holiday World puts something in the space where Hyena Falls and Pilgrims Plunge used to be. But whenever I do go to Holiday World, I am certainly going to give that Brick Oven Pizza restaurant a dinner visit.

I went to kk yesterday was disappointed with lightning run until later in the day. The lateral airs were insane. A full train and complete warm Up really makes a difference. They ran 2 trains on both that and storm chaser

You should make a stop at Beech Bend in KY too as Kentucky Rumbler was really good.

This is awesome holiday world is my home park and is by far the best out of all parks I have been to. Coasters are quality here, other parks go for quantity

Good job actually getting to theme parks. I could only get to a Legoland Park before everything closed.

Thank you for the brick oven tip

Great videos. Really enjoy your point of view on a lot of roller coasters! Although the 360 video is a little disorientating.

I'm curious to know if COVID-19 is affecting your travel plans to various parks this year. Great vid as always. :)

This is such a weird coincidence I'm doing both parks on July 8th this year it's like you knew!

Holiday World is my home park. You are doing yourself a HUUUUUGEEE dis-service by not going to the water park. The water coasters are phenomenal... all the slides are amazing, and as much as people don't believe it, the water park is ridiculously clean. You didn't eat there and recommended the pizza buffet... and indeed it is a good place to eat, however the food in the park is VERY reasonably priced and their pizza is freakin amazing. Flat rides that you didn't ride that you should have: Liberty Launch (Launch tower). It's not massively tall like you'll see at the chain parks, however it def packs a punch... and a surprising one. The forces are far greater than you'd expect, Mayflower (swinging ship) - I know it LOOKS just like a normal swinging ship ride... but its not. This thing swings far far higher than any I have ever been on and once again the forces were far far greater than your standard swinging ships and Raging Rapids - Again, the size makes it LOOK deceiving, but the course is designed VERY VERY well for forces. Also, you WILL get wet. I know they ALL say that, but you will for sure on Raging Rapids... there is no escape! And again, I'll sum up by saying you are doing yourself a HUGE disservice by not doing the waterpark. I know water parks aren't for everyone, and I know the typical complaints of them being dirty ect.... however... you will not have these issues at Spashin Safari. I've seen some of the most anti water park people go in there and then completely change their thoughts on water parks. Once you experience one that is done right like Splashin Safari, you get it. There is not ONE SINGLE bad slide/ride in the water park.... not one.... plus you even get free sunscreen just like you do the sodas! Most people around here say they are more than happy to pay the admission cost JUST FOR the water park... let alone the dry rides part... and indeed I know many people who get seasons passes or day tickets and just do the water park.

I used to run a Zamperla kiddie coaster at another park! I also gave adults a hard time for riding it but I always tried to add your never too old for it when I wasn’t busy. I find it uncomfortable for what it is. I personally don’t ride it often because of this.

Both of these parks are on my list of parks I have been near and have brochures of, but never actually have gone there.

I went to Holiday World when I was like 3 and the kiddie ride was pretty coo

My family is from Louisville, I;ve never been to KK and I've really wanted to. But I'm saving up my money to marathon a bunch of parks

Since you brought up Six Flags St. Louis at the start of the video, can you do a video reflecting your day there and/or Silver Dollar City?

I love the roughness of Legend’s laterals

Plan on going here at the end of the summer, not a big fan of wooden coasters but maybe that’s because we don’t really have any good ones in Orlando.

Kentucky Kingdom is an amazing park. The water park is everything. Always worth a visit. Holiday World is ok....all their rides are carnival rides. The water park there is alright but KK is a better deal both if your looking for thrills and a large water park that has thrills as well.

I think Holiday World should get a B&M hyper, or some other large scale steel coaster, and KK could use A Intamin or Vekoma Blitz Coaster

I was hoping to do these both holiwood knights and keys to the kingdom if they are open. Quite a drive for me by myself and am new to ACE so I dont know anyone yet. Sounds like it may be worth it, tho i think about woodies similarly to what you've said...one and done mainly.

Kentucky kingdom is my home park and I love it. Lighting run and storm chaser are the fan favorite of the park. I love both. Thunder run good to. T3 is ok. Even the new one Kentucky flyer is a good family one. Same with roller skater. For Holiday world I don’t mind it just not my favorite but don’t mind going

Illinois is the only state that Interstate 64 goes through without passing area that has an amusement park. Missouri - Six Flags St. Louis Indiana - Holiday World Kentucky - Kentucky Kingdom West Virginia - Camden Park Virginia - Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Kentucky kingdom is my home park when I'm old enough I will work there like my dad did hope I get a discount for entry!

I've never been to either of these parks, but although I've ridden Coaster at Playland almost 60 times in one day I don't think that adds up to Ryan Clark (a.k.a. Canada Coaster Fan)'s almost 40 rides on The Voyage in one day. That impresses me.

Hot take: you’re missing a great experience by skipping wildebeest and mammoth.

U got a lot done at those parks in that time. My home parks are Bush Gardens and Disney World. I tried doing this kind of thing there and I got on like 4 rides at bush and 2 rides at Disney because Disney is always crowded.

I've done this same trip before, thanks to my lead foot I left Kentucky Kingdom at 6:42 pm and arrive at Holiday world at 6:38 pm

I like Lighting Run lot of ejector air time. KK always run one train. Park has really good food

Hope everyone is holding up during this time since all parks are closed. 😭