Missing Sister at KK

We closed out the 2003 season today by driving down to Kentucky Kingdom, taking advantage of their half price Final Day, and riding everything in the park. Everything else went fine (except for the usual lack of landscaping, terrible ride ops, embarassing maintenance, etc., which we've all just learned to ignore). But can somebody clue me in on what the deal is with Twisted Twins (aka Twisted Sisters) before I have to make an appointment for an interview and drive back down there during the offseason.

This is a really underrated woodie. It is an economy sized Beast or Legend, wandering all over the park's southwest border between the parking lot, Thunder Run, Top Eliminator Dragster, and Crittenden Drive. It circles, dives, and curls back on itself. It has great pacing and a clever layout. it was an attempt to take the idea of the racing coaster to the next level. These two trains sometimes run alongside each other, sometimes one dives under the other and comes up on the opposite side or runs below for a while then suddenly climbs above, and then they bring them into what looks like a spectacular head on collision until they veer off at the last second.
Someplace else, this would be a much loved ride.
So, how come....

l. Even though the ride was designed as a racing coaster on steroids, nobody I know has been able to ride it with both trains running for several years. Running only one train significantly reduces the experience. The other train isn't even there, not on a transfer table, nowhere. One ride op said they never could get the other one running, one said it kept jumping the tracks (???), and one said they couldn't keep both tracks maintained properly (???).
I'm betting these are not quite accurate. But what is the story?

2. Why run the one train they do run with hard plastic seatbacks ? This is the only major coaster I know of with hard plastic seat backs. The trains aren't bad --- they're smooth, comfortable, well sprung, etc., but those hard seat backs could be painful. We solved the problem by just leaning forward into the drops and turns, but less experienced riders might not know to do so.

3. Why hide the ride? There is no promotion of this ride at all. You can't even find it unless you go looking, way back there, somewhere in the wilderness behind Penguin's Blizzard River, throaty slingshot dragsters, the back end of Thunder Run and a city block of board fence. There used to be another way, meandering along through the woods from the Carousel and Mile High Falls, but they fenced it off at both ends for construction of Frightful Forest. We met several people up at the Giant Wheel and Bumper Cars (recreated as Road Rage) who said they'd tried to find it and given up. Coming in from Crittenden Drive, you'd think it was the centerpiece of the whole park, and once you get into the park, it's invisible.

4. At the very least, if they're going to run it as a one train ride, why don't they splice the tracks together and double the length, so they're using all of that trackage, rather than running one train through the abandoned tracks of the other?

Of all the wooden coasters I know of which are actually standing and operating, this has to be the most poorly managed.

I just have a few comments:

First, when I rode it back in June, I enjoyed the pleasure of riding it with both sides running. I had actually always heard that only one side runs at a time, but when it finally came my turn to ride, it was a different story altogether. I do have to say, however, that two trains at one time doesnt add all that much to the ride. I can tell they tried, but the two tracks do a lot of their own thing, and i think its probably better that way.

To say that the ride compares to most of the great wooden coasters of the time is probably an overstatement in its current condition. The only part of the ride that I remember being incredible was in the back seat on the first drop, that really did hurt! I do agree, however, that the park does not take care of it in the way it should be, and that with proper maintenance, it could definitely be a top tier woodie. Unfortunately, the ride in its state does not seem to have much pacing at all, and really just kind of meanders its way through the last half of the course. I think that with updated, periodical work the ride could be running at a nice pace and definitely provide the thrills its capable of.

Im glad SFKK realized they had a gem with Thunder Run, and now have it running awesome, but i wish they would take a look in the general direction of Twisted Twins and see that with the same care, they could have two classic woodies in their park.

The ride is overlooked because it has THE MOST underrated woodie yards from it.

Those trains really suck though. It really should require two riders per seat , because I rode by myself and actually fell over the seat divider once. Plus the lapbar kept pounding me. The ride has plenty of laterals , which are not a fun thing with uncomfy trains. Thunder Run has plenty of laterals , but the trains are much better , so it doesn't hurt.

I personally didn't like the ride because of the reasons stated above plus it didn't have air.Laterals Suck.

The mechanics did wave at us as we rode by while they worked on Lola(which was closed) , that was the only real memorable part of it.

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I'm highjacking every post. :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):);)

Stella was the only open side when I went 2 weekends ago. It definitely needs some TLC. I've never heard a train whine so much! It's a semi-fun ride and yes quite hard to find unless you're on a mission to ride it. Three years ago when I visited, both Stella and Lola were racing, and it was much more fun that way. The trains in my opinion kill the ride though. Bring in some PTC's please! Thunder Run is world's better in my opinion.

One other thing I have to add...according to RCDB: "The coaster changed its name from Twisted Sisters after a member of the rock band "Twisted Sister" threatened to sue Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom." I found that pretty funny.
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Nashville needs a theme park!
*** This post was edited by thrillerman1 11/3/2003 12:54:09 AM ***

SFKK is a god-forsaken hell-hole. I hate everything about it, including their terrible rides.

That park could disappear and nobody would care. It's slightly worse than SFA.

I would care if Kentucky Kindgom disappeared. Is it at the top of my list? No. But it has an excellent woodie in Thunder Run, and a good standup in Chang (relative term, of course, since I'm not a big standup fan).

I like Twisted Sisters/Twins, as well. I've been very lucky, though -- every time I've been to Kentucky Kingdom, both Twins were running.

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--Greg, aka Oat Boy
My page
"Friendship -- more lasting than love, more legal than stalking."

I know I am going to get blasted for this. But is this a dueling coaster like Lighting Racer? I only been able to find a few pics of it on RCDB and they don't give much a view.
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http://coastertrackrecord.tripod.com/

*** This post was edited by Crashmando 11/3/2003 10:23:28 AM ***

The dueling aspect is fairly lame. It only "duels" on the lifts, first drop and at one other point during the ride... the trains don't constantly interact like Lightning Racer.

I found TT to be mostly painful and boring, easily the worst CCI I've ridden.

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A day is a drop of water in the ocean of eternity. A week is seven drops.

I always thought CCI should disclaim responsibility for The Sisters, then I rode HC5 in Myrtle Beach. Far, far worse than TS/TT.

My last visit was pre-SRM '02, and the coaster was not only dueling, but even had *gasp* grease on the tracks (who spilled that stuff, LOL). But the best ops in the park were there, load/unload was fast, and they made the most of a ho-hum ride (esp. for a CCI creation).

Compared to what happens at BGT with Gwazi, I'd say SFKK has improved their ops on The Twins considerably! The dueling nature of TS/TT is WAY less impressive, but when you release the trains *together*, at least you can GET the dueling aspect.

Twisted Twins is a flat out crappy ride. There is absolutely *no* pacing; both sides just unnecessarily bang around. It's like CCI designed the lifts and great first drops, then spent the entire rest of the ride trying to (a) get them to duel mid-course and (b) from there, get them back to the station at similar times. The result is a ride with a couple of decent spots of airtime, but most of which causes you to just ask, "What the HELL was that?" after your ride is finished. Responding to Trekker Park's other points:

1) Twisted Twins has never been a racing coaster. There is no point in the ride where they race side-by-side. The leave the station in different directions, and return in different directions. However, every time I've been to SFKK I've been able to ride both sides. Usually, these visits are on the day before or after SRM. Try going earlier in the season.

2) Welcome to the terrible world of Gerstlauer trains. They track poorly, they're jerky, clunky, painful, and unpadded. ALL of them are. Basically, you can be assured that any coaster with Gerstlauer trains will have hard plastic seat backs. It's not just the SFKK ride.

3) As you said yourself, the ride isn't normally hidden. Most likely, there wasn't much else for options during Fright Fest. Now, I hate the "fence tunnel" as much as anyone else (another contributing factor to SFKK's "hellhole" status) but the ride is hardly difficult to find during the normal season.

4) See above comments. If you asked me, I'd say (from my experience) they *always* run both sides.

-Nate

Prone Coaster...Have you ridden Thunder Run this season?

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Nashville needs a theme park!
*** This post was edited by thrillerman1 11/3/2003 6:57:01 PM ***

Yes, and I thought it was stupid. It's smoother than Hurler but still quite boring. It's better than Twisted Sisters, but quite a forgettable ride. There wasn't much airtime at all. This was on a hot afternoon in June.

The best part of Thunder run WAS a double up on the back streach of it. But they took it out and replaced it with about 300 feet of flat track... When I asked the park about this they denied it even though I had a Picture of the previous ride...

They do not *always* run them together...at least, not in MY experience.

Maybe they've changed the procedures more recently....in which case, BRAVO! Racing/dueling coasters *should* race/duel, even if those aspects aren't highlighted throughout the ride.
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Mistakes were made, others are to blame...

Maybe a soundtrack could improve the ride...

"I wanna rock!"

They dueled when I was there in 2002. Unfortunately, due to us getting there late on a Sunday, we were only able to ride the coasters one time each, but I don't remember anything that special about either one of the twins. Thunder Run on the other hand was awesome.
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Storm Runner-Verticle Horsepower

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Prone Coaster said:
Yes, and I thought it was stupid. It's smoother than Hurler but still quite boring. It's better than Twisted Sisters, but quite a forgettable ride. There wasn't much airtime at all. This was on a hot afternoon in June.

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Wow , that is a very odd opinion. I found its air to be more fun than that of the Raven(except the fifth drop) , and its the only ride I've ever ridden that the laterals REALLY rocked on. I usually HATE laterals(except on micies).

Of course , who would agree with me that Son of Beast is the best thing they'd ever ridden?

And I was wondering about that flat stretch of track. Another Butt-throwing air-hop would rock there.But it actually works: it gives the ride a great sense of speed.Thanks for the clear-up Marz Yar.

BTW, anyone have pictures of the Double up?

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Gotta(heavy breath) get myself(breath)funnier for(breath) offseason.(breath)So unfunny(breath) must.....try....harder.

I'll throw in my .02 cents on Thunder Run, too. Great coasters, very underrated, excellent ejector air in the front half of the train.

And I also don't get the anti-SFKK sentiments. Nice park, lots of flats, good mouse, excellent stand-up, good launcher, great woodie [Thunder Run]. Only the Sisters are somewhat of a letdown.

mOOSH

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The only 2004 Wood Coaster Calendar still available, plus holiday & all-occasion cards. All at S&D Greetings.

My anti-SFKK sentiments have little to do with their coaster collection and a lot to do with the fact that it is the poorest operated park in the country.

-Nate