Kentucky Flyer at Kentucky Kingdom has been in operation since 2019. Designed and manufactured by the experts at The Gravity Group. This is an out-and-back family wooden coaster that while lacking in impressive stats still packs a real punch.
Kentucky Flyer Experience
Kentucky Kingdom has a very odd layout. The location of Kentucky Flyer is one of those weird things because this roller coaster sits at the back of the water park. Just head towards the water slides and that is where you will find this coaster.
Anyone that is 40 inches can ride with an adult supervisor but 46 inches to ride alone. You will be kept safe by a lap bar which the ride attendants will lower before the train is dispatched.
Upon leaving the station you will rise up a 47 feet lift hill that banks to the right before giving you that first drop. From there it is one twisted turn and hill after another. The ride lasts for a little over a minute. When the train comes back into the station your lap bar will unlock. You are able to raise it and exit the ride safely.
Kentucky Flyer: The Good
In our first experience with Kentucky Flyer, we weren’t expecting much. We have ridden and loved other coasters by the Gravity Group so we should have known better. When you look at this coaster it doesn’t look impressive. It is short in height and length. It never gets going very fast with a max speed of 35 mph. However, when the train whipped over that first hill I reset my expectations. This ride has fantastic airtime that is unlike any other family coaster we have ever ridden.
It is extremely impressive how violent of a family coaster this is. Yet this isn’t so out of control as to exclude its target audience. It finds that perfect balance of just the ride amount of speed, airtime, and laterals to impressive the parents but not scare the kids out of riding.
The Timberliner trains look fantastic! The airplane theming is such a naturally good concept for a coaster. Also, it is those restraints that allow this coaster to have those impressive forces, but also allow kids 40 inches tall to ride. Kudos to Kentucky Kingdom for offering such a great ride to younger kids!
The Bad
The location of this ride is odd. Having a roller coaster sitting in the back of the water park is certainly not something we have ever seen before. It won’t ruin your experience but it certainly messes with the flow of the park.
There are some minor quibbles with this ride that are so minor that we wouldn’t even mention them if this ride wasn’t as great as it is. Like how the entrance sign isn’t impressive. Or how much it bugs us that the propeller on the front of the train doesn’t move. If complaints like this are what you have to say about a coaster then that speaks to the quality of the ride.
Final Verdict
Kentucky Flyer is a great addition to Kentucky Kingdom. This just might be our favorite family coaster we have ever ridden. While it isn’t even our favorite roller coaster at this park we are judging it on what it is trying to do. This is a step above the park’s Roller Skater and not quite a thrill coaster yet. Yet even the adults riding it will likely be shocked at just how great this one is. The biggest issue is the odd placement of the ride but nothing really that detracts from the experience. Because of these reasons Kentucky Flyer gets a nine out of ten.
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