Kentucky Kingdon has announced its new suspended family coaster for 2026, Flying Fox by Vekoma. The theming on this ride looks great with a Kentucky farmland setting complete with the queue in a barn. The ride looks great and nearly identical to Dragonflier at Dollywood, but that’s not a bad thing as Dragonflier is a great ride! The specs are also sear identical with Flying Fox being 65 feet tall with 1,380 feet of track at 37 mph over 63 seconds while Dragonflier is 63 feet tall with 1,486 feet of track at 47 mph over 60 seconds. It’s not a clone, but so similar that Kentucky Kingdom actually used stock footage of Dragonflier in the Flying Fox promo video. Here’s the the description the park has provided about it:

“Join the daring adventures of local legend and crop-dusting pilot, Jeb Fox, as Flying Fox sends riders soaring over a vibrant Kentucky farmland setting. The experience will begin at the red barn-inspired queue winding through hand-painted murals and playful audio featuring Jeb himself, the theming celebrates Kentucky’s agricultural heritage while adding a lighthearted twist aimed for families to enjoy. Get ready to soar through the skies, catching a bird’s eye view of Louisville, just before plunging down through an underground tunnel, providing a unique and thrilling ride experience!”

–Kentucky Kingdom

Flying Fox is part of a massive multi-year investment by Herschend Family Entertainment in Kentucky Kingdom. This $14 million custom coaster will be the park’s 6^th roller coaster, the most of any theme park in Kentucky and is the park’s first new coaster since 2019. Flying Fox will be taking the spot of T3, the park’s previous suspended coaster that closed in 2022.

If you watch the promo video that park put out they actually use footage that’s obviously Dragonflier at Dollywood. based on Thunderhead in the background. From the colored track to the tunnel the rides are obviously highly similar which would be expected with the same manufacturer working for the same chain. If it is like Dragonflier it would be GREAT as it is an awesome little ride. It has some great turns and it’s silky smooth. It also appears Flying Fox will have an added feature over Dragonflier with onboard audio and if you’ve ridden Big Bear Mountain you know how much this can add to a ride.

Dragonflier is quite short at 1486 feet and only has one train, and Flying Fox is even shorter at 1380 feet, but maybe they’ll find a way to add a block zone for a second train? Dragonflier often has one of the longest wait times at Dollywood as the capacity is lower than most coasters.

It’s great to see Kentucky Kingdom getting a new coaster. Herschend has grown with its recent acquisition of Palace Entertainment and pulling a Six Flags with a near “clone” of a great ride in a new location isn’t a bad thing. Even if it is similar to Dragonflier it’ll be great to see Flying Fox’s theming and experience the onboard audio. Kentucky Kingdom appears to be a park that’s definitely on the rise!