yknow the coaster community getting scared when coaster studios and eltororyan make a video about the same topic on kingdaka within 1 hours (more like 45 minutes)
So badly hoping they do remove it. I don't see myself getting the opportunity to ride this in the immediate future and if I did, I need it to be consistently open, which it can't.
As a European tourist who visited New York City this summer, I only discovered Six Flags Great Adventure after researching where this massive roller coaster, Kingda Ka, was located. I was lucky enough to ride it twice with my girlfriend, and honestly, we probably wouldn’t have visited the park if it weren’t for Kingda Ka. We had no clue about El Toro, Jersey Devil, Nitro, or many of the other coasters until just a few days before our visit. Kingda Ka is truly Six Flags Great Adventure's flagship ride and a technological masterpiece-you realize that the moment you enter the park. Six Flags really needs to invest more in advertising, especially in places like New York and Philadelphia, instead of focusing on adding new rides. We didn’t see anything about the park in either city! Kingda Ka was the sole reason we decided to visit, and I’m sure we’re not the only ones who feel that way.
This would be a massive blow not just to Six Flags guests but to a LOT of people in the NorthEast because King Da Ka is like one of the only really BIG coasters we have here. No other parks close to us have a giga coasters like this. This would be a huge blow to the attendance at this park.
@@coolboss999 To be fair if they were to get rid of Kingda Ka, they would 100% replace it with something massive. Definitely not as tall as Kingda Ka, but at least a giga.
We could very well be watching the beginning of the end for Great Adventure. You don't remove your headliner and not expect to take a MASSIVE attendance hit.
I’m very fortunate that I got to take a day off from work, fly up and o NJ and ride Kingda Ka 4 times this past Sunday. 3 of those times were front row. It had been over three years since my last ride and I forgot just how powerful they launch us! Thank you for the heads up to go ride it again! Hopefully not my last time riding, but I’m happy to have ridden it again!
I commented this on another channel today: The total area Fury 325 uses is about 333,000 square feet. The total area of Green Lantern (also rumored to close) and Kingda Ka is about 380,000 square feet. There is absolutely enough room for a BEAST of a giga. Perhaps even a lift hill strata.
Late October seems way too late to announced the closure of Kingda Ka. They're already selling 2025 season passes and moved Flash: VV opening to next year. This would be killing John Wick's dog level of bad PR
My first and only visit to Great Adventure was in 2016. The trip was supposed to happen only in NYC, but since my parents knew I loved amusement parks (and we don't have a lot of high end parks around here in Brazil), they took me to Six Flags. I only rode Ka once, and I remember it was such a cloudy day that the tower was above the clouds, yet they were still operating the ride. It wasn't my favourite coaster, but it probably was the most remarkable coaster ride I've done. I really hope this icon doesn't go
I am gonna point out. As having my home park be Knotts berry farm, run by cedar fair, a year or so back xcelerator came back from a multi year shutdown and it has been running fantastically with minimal downtime since. Cedar fair is not blindly removing every hydraulic launch they had, it’s on a different scale but they were putting in a lot of work and a lot of money on xcelerator, so while runouts are scary, cedar fair has acted in different ways to hydraulic launches needing fixes on different coasters
The difference between Xcelerator and something like Kingda Ka and the original Top Thrill Dragster is that Xcelerator is much smaller and not as fast, meaning that wear-and-tear and maintenance is not as intense compared to the latter two coasters. It's even possible some of the old parts from Top Thrill Dragster were used as spare parts for Xcelerator, which could be why it's up-and-running like normal again.
@@ToaOfFusion agreed, I mentioned the difference in scale but it is a massive factor. I hadn’t considered the idea of top thrills parts being used on xcelerator but it does sound plausible and would be damming, as Knotts has literally no space so they’d essentially have to take it down or keep the launch. So there is a chance that they aren’t willing to keep any out of that circumstance. I still think it makes it more likely they are not gonna remove it, but I see the point.
If they really do close Ka, I may never go back to that park again, considering how many other huge parks I've never been to that I should try instead, and Ka was the main attraction for me at Great Adventure. I am so glad I got to write Ka 4 times this summer (making that 5 total rides, modest, I know, but enough to appreciate Ka) as it is maybe my favorite coaster I've ever been on.
Converting it into an Intamin LSM Multi Launch coaster with an extended layout is probably the best option compromising ride operations and maintenance, iconography, and overall entertainment value for the park.
@@JoeyH-sb3fq I disagree. Intamin has been on Cedar Fair's bad list for years now, mostly because of the headache some of their rides have been to maintain. Now that they've merged with Six Flags, it could be an opportunity for a fresh start with Intamin, and if it were to pay off it would place them back on the newly merged company's good list, which just means a large number of parks that would now be able to get new Intamin made rides. So I have to think that Intamin would absolutely be willing to take on the project.
Unless Six Flags Great Adventure releases an official statement confirming the closure or demolition of Kingda Ka, I believe the most likely scenario is a replacement of the hydraulic launch system with an LSM launch, similar to what’s been done with Top Thrill 2. It’s also possible they’ll retrack some of the more stressed sections where high G-forces are affecting the track. I highly doubt they would remove their record-breaking coaster entirely without clear communication.
IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER: "TOP THRILL DRAGSTER" WAS ANNOUNCED SIMPLY AS "CLOSING" BEFORE IT WAS ANNOUNCED AS BEING CONVERTED. So all _closure_ means is "fate pending" Another important thing to consider is the incident that caused Top Thrill Dragster to close in the first place. Cedar Fair undoubtedly want to make sure Kingda Ka doesn't have a similar incident on their watch now that it's their problem, and the ride would have to close at least temporarily for them to be able to make a full assessment of its condition. A connection you could have done with making more explicitly: The massive teething troubles with Top Thrill 2, and the extent to which Kingda Ka's closure/removal is being muttered about. A conversion might still be on the cards, but that's undountedly contingent on how much more grief they have with TT2 before it's running smoothly.
No it wasn’t. It was announced to not operate for the season a couple times after the accident and then they announced TTD was done as we know it but they were working on how to re-imagine the ride.
posted this on coaster studios's video and reposting here since it sums up my thoughts very well: so a lot of the rumors talk about replacing this with another 400ft tall coaster, right? usually the mack xtreme spinner shuttle we saw. i just don't understand in which universe that's a better decision!! - while mack are reliable, they have yet to make a coaster that tall, and their current tallest coaster, hyperia, did have some issues upon opening - but let's say you full trust mack, fair enough! can't you just trust THEM to lsm kingda ka instead of zamperla? the tt2 issue was because of zamperla's inexperience, not because refurbing a strata is impossible. - another thing to note is that likely zumanjaro would go too! doesn't it just make more sense to make use of the parts of ka ALREADY there which AREN'T problematic, i.e. trackwork and supports, and build upon that? instead of demolishing a whole 400ft tall coaster to build a brand new 400ft coaster and throwing out the worlds tallest drop tower along the way? this isn't a disagreement with you, sarah and taylor, it's a disagreement with the philosophy of the new merged six flags company, if this all turns out to be true after all, which i don't doubt, but strongly hope isn't. they'd be making a disservice to their legacy as an amusement park chain, dare i say, by tearing down ka and zumanjaro. i REALLY hope they just refurb it and ofc, if they just take it down without a worthy replacement, i think that's gonna leave gigantic gap in this park's ride lineup, for locals and tourists that were used to / expecting a 400ft coaster, and i don't think that will bode well for their numbers.
Let’s say they get a coaster that’s better then Ka. Is it really pushing the lineup that much forward? Also you would be losing zumanjaro which is one of if not the best drop tower out there and it duels with Ka. That is a massive loss and any drop tower they get after will feel less than. You could also be losing green lantern which I know most people don’t like but I think it’s a solid ride. I just don’t see this as a net positive. However the only good thing is that this doesn’t really change how much longer it would take for great adventure to get a new coaster because they’re already getting flash the year before. That would be for their next coaster that wouldn’t replace a already existing coaster.
it seems like the move in US parks is to make weaker rides that are more family friendly and high capacity so I am not sure that there would be a replacement that would make coaster junkies happy
I gotta be honest and I just commented this on coaster studios video but The thing that gets me is literally everyone is covering this topic and i mean everyone keeps saying along the lines of "behind the scenes talks" or "ideas floating around" or "ideas being discussed" All with zero supporting evidence. Who is the one saying this, where are the rumors coming from. Everyone that is covering this rumor should list credible sources. It's getting annoying when all everyone that is covering this is saying essentially "we've heard from behind the scenes." Cite sources. Credible ones. Show documents or whatever it is that proves it's done. Everyone's been saying we've heard this and that without who's actually saying it or what documents are stating this.
It started with the keep riding coasters dude. Don't know if he made it up, and it's simply a game of telephone or they all have the same source that doesn't know much, etc.
Releasing the names of people who are not supposed to be giving out inside information like this will result in them losing their jobs. That is the reason nobody is saying who exactly is giving out these secrets
@@ZMSaypol coaster studios made the same point and my response was, When I was an employee of great adventure from the 2010-2013 season we all knew chang was coming to the park and weren't allowed to speak about it. HOWEVER, there was permits filed, etc etc that all pointed to Chang being the coaster coming to the park that fueled rumors and proved points in the public. The difference here is there is zero documents supporting this that have come forward and its just a loop of weve heard this and that. No demolition permits, no construction permits, nothing. It's the age old "because the dippin dots guy said so" argument that is being taken as fact. I do appreciate that ryan states that plans change and nothing is 100%
Honestly that’s kinda idiotic to say, El toro Ryan’s source predicted the entire top thrill 2 situation with 100% accuracy. This is the guy to trust. If the names were released they would lose their job and get is huge trouble
Man, I remember watching so many videos about Kingda Ka as a kid on RUclips, whether it be documentaries, POVs, or recreations in RCT3 or NoLimits. Never had the chance to actually ride it, and now I'm sad I likely never will 😭
I don't really buy maintenance costs for a possible closure. Those costs are much lower than the capital costs of a new major ride and they likely haven't changed much over time, meaning why now? There is a high likely hood of this being an internet rumor getting passed around. The ride probably has a useful life of 5-10 more years. I see no reason for them to be in a rush to get rid of a paid-off major attraction. It would be smart of them to let the TT2 situation get played out before deciding the fate of this coaster. Keep'r going!
If it gets removed they need to replace it with something just as tall or taller,Its about time we see a 500ft lift hill coaster.Glad I got to ride it.
Removing Kingda Ka would be the absolute death of Great Adventure. The entirety of the park's tourism would disappear. Removing it to build a hotel that no one would stay in because you got rid of Kingda Ka is absolutely inane. I just pray we are all really wrong about what's happening.
If they were to do anything, I believe the best case scenario would be Intamin LSM with extended layout, possibly using that Green Lantern plot. I would have to believe they could do without swing launch especially given the vertical LSMs they make now. Kind of what a lot of people wanted before details came out on top thrill 2.
Cedar Fair is certainly ruthless enough to do it this year, they even did it to an entire park in Geauga Lake with no warning. I would hope the potential PR backlash is enough to at least give a long notice. If they do close it, an Intamin-led refurb would be my vote, one that would hopefully allow Zumanjaro to survive. Hope the new six flags and intamin can make up though...
The PR on it would cause people that know to leave and never come back. The park I thought was going to be in jeopardy with the merger was Dorney Park not GA pulling up stakes on Ka and not replacing would be that level bad.
If the track is still good enough to re-imagine the ride that would be cool, use LSMs with a swing launch and/or track extension. It could have larger circuit that builds up to ~90mph before making a banked turn and then boosting the rest of the way on the current track.
That was another epic f*ck-up. Removing Big Bad Wolf. The replacement coaster Verboten is great, but Wolf was another iconic ride that deserved re-imagining. Glad the fans got their way on naming the new coaster.
I grew up in China and have always loved coasters but couldn't learn more about them since many websites and videos are not accessible from there and there are very few enthusiasts in China. But we still traveled around a lot to ride coasters, I just never cared to learn about them since I didn't know coaster enthusiasts are a thing. There are only two coasters that I really knew about back then: Kingda Ka and Millennium Force, they are so famous that even with limited access to media I still know about them. Then we moved to NJ in 2018 and I knew I had to ride Kingda Ka. I loved that ride so much that I started to look up coasters for the first time and learned all about the manufactures, the elements, the physics and science and engineering behind coasters, and the awesome coaster community of enthusiasts. It all started with Ka and for that reason Ka has a very special place in my heart. I will be so sad if Ka really is meeting the end. (I wrote this comment again after my last comment disappeared lol)
They are slowly removing hydraulic launches it’s sad and compressed air launches as well and replacing them with lsm it’s horrible now all of our fave rides are slowly going so gotta ride them quick
thrust air launches are the one type of launch coasters that are officially extinct because one of the reasons the 2021 accident on Do-Dodonpa in Japan when people bones broke even they followed the ride rules
Removal would be very very stupid. Now that Top Thrill no longer uses the hydraulic launch system. I think this ride will still hold up. Nothing like a hydro launch in my opinion. Yea, the repair cost would be the killer of the ride unfortunately. No matter how popular
Very sad to hear. In college I participated in a Hydraulic Bike competition for my senior design project. One of the main sponsors of the competition supplies numerous hydraulic parts for the launches. They stated if Intamin had just had a hydraulic company design the launch and components it would be much more reliable. They are also sad to see the industry move away from this fluid science to just use electricity (LSM) for launches. I have always wondered how rides like Stormrunner, Stealth, and other hydraulic launches don't seem to have nearly as many problems.
well maybe for the case of storm runner since it’s not a big and fast as ka the wear and tear isn’t as bad but when i go there storm runner is a hit or miss for being open throughout the day or closed.
I still think that the plan was to potentially give it a similar treatment as TT2 but also extend the layout into the green lantern plot. They could have closed Green Lantern and removed it in the off season will opening up Ka to start the season then close it for the refresh mid summer and have it ready for the following season. But the issues with TT2 have ether canceled or put that idea on hold. While they make that final decision I feel KingDa Ka will go to a SBNO until the decision is made.
Hey Ryan! Have you ever considered uploading the audio from your videos to Spotify, Apple, etc in podcast form? Idk if that is possible but I’d love to listen more while I’m at work!
Sounds to me like a major issue has come up that will need addressed inevitably and now its about how long the ride will last until they can retrofit it with an LSM if that is in fact an option.
Here’s something else to consider; these 100+ mph launch coasters that were the byproduct of the coaster wars are becoming extinct. Top Thrill Dragster and Do-Dodonpa have gone, Formula Rossa is likely getting a less intense launch, and now this. And with the hydraulic launch in general becoming increasingly rare, combined with Falcon’s Flight inching towards completion and the eventual shattering of Ka’s big record, and there is a LOT of reason to speculate that this ride might be gone soon. The amusement industry is not what it was in 2005, and with record-breaking new rides becoming less and less frequent, I’m actually on the side that these rumors are more likely than not true, if not this year, then definitely next year. I pray that I’m wrong, but it just makes too much sense
It could definitely make sense they will ask Intamin to install their new LSM's on Kingda Ka. Because I highly doubt they will close it down forever without giving advanced notice to the public
What I don’t understand is how falcons flight is supposed to work with LSMs but they can’t retrofit them to this? Is there not enough track for the LSMs to pick up enough speed to get over the top hat? With TT2 the only real issue is the trains, and if they bought intamins trains that they plan on using for falcons flight for both of the strata coasters, wouldn’t that solve the issue? I understand that would be expensive but building a whole new coaster would be too. Idk I’m probably wrong but the whole thing just doesn’t fully add up in my head.
Kingda Ka was the rollercoaster that got me to start caring about coasters back when I was around 11. It was always the bucket list ride, the world record holder. It was my favorite for years, all the way until I went on it in 2019. It was raining the day I went, so it had closed for a while because of weather, and I remember the guy at the control panel basically told me and my brother to not waste our time in the station and go on other rides because it would be a while. Eventually, we came back when it was open, and there was something so surreal about fulfilling a childhood dream (granted I was 13, but still). In my mind, Ka is the definitive rollercoaster. It has a vibe that is unparalleled, and while it's world record won't be around for much longer, there's something special for a park to say that they had the former world record holder, and the current continental record holder. As Akio Toyoda said about the Lexus LFA, it was a halo car that was valuable for the rest of the company (by showing "hey, we can make this really cool car!" it makes people think higher of your normal production models), even if it didn't sell well. It may be expensive to operate, but when people think of Six Flags Great Adventure, they think "Oh, that's the park with Kingda Ka!" Removing it would be a truly terrible decision. Even if they close it disassembling it should be a crime. Them coming out and saying that they just can't afford it and it could kill the whole park could limit the reputational damage, but in that case, they should leave the physical coaster there as a monument to the past and to the history of the park (and leave the potential for reopening if they could figure out a way to make it more reliable).
I think they might pull something out of left field and go to Intamin for a refit like they did with ttd at first. I’m still kind of thinking they are closing KK “as we know it”. kk will be redone, green lantern removed and KK extended into the plot of land
Intamin is working on a new LSM technology with the same power as an hydraulic launch. Kingda Ka can be the first one and prove the technology is ready ! This is my favourite scenario 🤞🤞🤞
My guess is it gets the TT2 treatment however Intamin does it instead of Zamperla. Either that, or it gets a new hydraulic launch from Gerstlauer like Xcelerator got. I just cant see them removing Ka entirely
six flags is making their flagship parks magic mountain, canada's wonderland, and cedar point. Kinda ka competes with TT2. They want to drive traffic to the destination cedar point, and making only one kind of record coaster there will help their strategy.
I love what you said about extending and at the very least I would LOVE that. I just imagine Ka with a swing launch and massive spike and then extending the layout to basically a giga coaster. That would be amazing. That would the only thing I would accept about change or “removal” of this ride. But this coaster is so iconic man. Like I get it. Business, maintenance, cost, all that. But damn 😢
I live 6.5 hours from great adventure and have yet to max the journey. I’d be heartbroken if I never get to ride because they never do a formal last day. I would absolutely be trying to drive my way over there if I’m given even a couple weeks heads up.
Removing such a legendary coaster would definitely cause outrage towards the community & the fans of the coaster I would definitely go for a massive refurbishment & give Kingda Ka a LSM Launch, as it's maintenance doesn't cost that much as a Hydraulic Launch. The idea then to extend the launch would definitely be a good idea
The most crucial part is the state of the track. TT2 was getting precise 3D scanning of the whole track. It could be deformed too much in too many areas and might need a lot of retracking if the track is to be re-used for a reimagined ride.
So they're apparently going to get rid of two of their headlining, record breaking attractions that have nothing wrong with them to save money on maintainence? Saving them a supposed 1 million per year? Then they have to spend at least 50 million plus on a new attraction/s not to mention the cost of removal... So in conclusion to save 1 million theyre going to spend 50 million plus. The math aint mathing
Back in 2019, I visited with my boyfriend all the way from Iceland and finally got to ride Kingda Ka twice, thanks to a platinum fast pass. I’d been obsessed with the engineering of rides like that since I was a kid. I also rode Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point thankfully before the reconfigurations. I get that maintaining these rides is tough and it must cause the business stress, but they pull in visitors from all over the world and boost revenue in other areas. Maybe parks should look into state sponsorship? Maybe slapping the governor’s face on the side of the coaster for $?
What if kingda ka closes but isn't removed and the re-imagining isn't even mentioned... BUT, with the removal of green lantern and the other flat rides, what if kingda ka gets an lsm launch and a layout extension into the green lantern area. Or perhaps a second lsm launch into a second new inverted tophat. And intamin should do it.
When you talk about roller coasters most people know about kingda ka it’s basically Great Adventure Icon. This isn’t like TTD at Cedar point Gadv doesn’t have multiple legendary class coasters to draw people. If the new Cedar fair executives can’t get off their high horse with intamin to retrofit kingda ka. Hershey park seems to be a better choice than this dying park.
Before I moved, Six Flags Great Adventure was the "local" theme park and Kingda Ka was the *only* ride I was too afraid to ride. Eventually I just stopped going and one day I want to go back to Jersey and ride it.
I feel like most parts are losing or lost touch with their fan base. Putting $$$ before everything else is really going to start taking a greater toll on parks more than it already has. If they remove Kingda Ka and put a hotel in I think the park is really going to alienate many park goers. Personally I think they should hold onto the ride as long as possible, even if that means doing a conversion somewhat like Top Thrill. I was glad Busch Gardens found a way to keep Loch ness Moster, this is what parks should be doing for ground breaking and historic rides. A new bigger and supposedly better ride is not always the answer. Hang onto those ionic rides as long as you can.
I think the biggest reason the rumors started was the TT2 refurb and then the following mess with it. We know it's a high cost/maintenance ride and operates on a launch system that the new company is already wanting to be rid of. I don't see it going in the next 5 years unless one of two things happen. A) Zamperla's TT2 refurb issue is fixed in a way that the new company is satisfied with and it gets the same treatment. B) They decide the cost/runtime numbers don't meet expectations enough to justify keeping it any longer. I really don't think it has anything to do with TT2 retaking a record which it would lose again as soon as Falcon's Flight opens. If anything it's going to be a mixture of cost/runtime/age making it just not a sound investment to keep any longer.
I went to six flags (my first ever six flags) back in 2021 I was lucky/ unlucky with King da ka. Lucky I was able to ride it. Unlucky because the car in front of us had a roll back. I’m gonna try to make a trip from FL back up next year hopefully it’s still open.
Aw man, when I heard the rumors I was ready to plan a trip to Great Adventure from SoCal next year just to ensure that I could get on this ride before it closes. But if they close it this season I just plain won't have the time to book a trip. If this is true, I REALLY hope they give us ample notice.
I'd be sad to see Ka go, & would love to see an LSM convert with an extended layout. IMO It would be a better marketing move considering how KA is such a well known coaster outside of the enthusiast community. Hell, Ka and TTD end of the coaster wars was the reason I became so interested as a kid and why I'm an enthusiast today.
I see this as an executive decision that benefits executives. I hope that they first asked how do we keep this running before asking does this make sense financially. Removing a landmark is not a good start to this merger. Install the lsm's if needed.
I LOVE LSM lift hills like Maverick. If you make a giga coaster with a really fast LSM lift hill, that would be super fun. Even the vertical launch coasters by Intamin are sweet looking.
I would be SHOCKED if it closed in 2024. I think we get an announcement in February that 2025 is the last season for Ka and Lanturn. You’re right, they need a plan before closing 2 major attractions. A true on site hotel and new coaster would be huge for this park
I am going to throw another option to the table: the air-compressed launch from S&S. Yes, they need a little bit of research, cause nowadays the fastest launch is 133km/h, but Do--Dodonpa reached 180km/h so it could be possible... The thing is: If you remove KdK, you have to immediately place another massive thing to fill the empty space, and that is going to cost way much than refurbishing the coaster itself. They have options, so first option may be this. For the Green Lanter thing, we do not have to forget that this coaster was at Kentucky and moved here, so is way older than you think. However, B&M could potentially study if those surfing trains fit the ride propperly. Three new trains is not that expensive, if you are thinking on removing the coaster and building a new one. This is the only way this coaster may be safed. If not, just trash it.
The brake fins are so faulty with the moving parts and sensors? That’s why they’re always working on them? Just save up and pay the costs. We know they can afford it. They knew what they were getting themselves into when they bought it!
I say expend the layout. Not a swing launch but have two LSM launch areas. The first launch could get the ride up to 70 mph and loop around via some over banked turns to the another launch area that starts almost the same area as the first launch. The second launch will reach the speeds needed to get up the tower. SOLD!
After watching the documentary you posted last night it reminded me of another reason why we don't see these 400ft+ coasters anymore: the height itself made it a extremely slow process to be able to complete the top hat in the environment it's in. Flacon's Flight likely didn't really suffer much from this as it is in a desert. I kind of viewed Kingda Ka as being more reliable than Dragster as Intamin probably learned a few things to make it run for efficiently, but that said you can only run something that goes 128mph for so long and 20 years is a good run. I could either see it being removed or modified, but with the management learning from their mistakes from TT2 and going back with Intamin, completely removing the station, adding a back spike, and extending the layout. Removing the coaster would probably be costly as it would be challenging building it... or they could topple it over into the nearby parking lot. I definitely see Green Lantern going somewhere else in the company and getting floorless trains.
Green Lantern is likely going elsewehere with new trains - either floorless or conventional trains. My guess is it would go to Valley Fair or Michigan Adventures or Darien Lake or Great Escape
I'm glad I got one front row ride, after two back row rides. Wish my 2nd back row ride was a front row ride but the line was too long and I didn't want to risk the ride going down. The difference between the front and back makes all the difference between an elite ride and a bad ride.
I honestly dont want to see ka leave like everyone but I feel like it carries so much of the park's history and the theme is just out of this world especially for a Six Flags coaster and if it gets removed we better be getting a new velocicoaster type intamin because I could care less about a giga and that honestly the only thing I hear out of peoples mouths but a giga is the last thing this park needs to be honest but given the fact that cedar fair just wants to completely do away with kingda ka all together and not even consult with intamin about a potential lsm conversion makes me a little scared with what Cedar Fair will put in its plot like the last thing I want to see is some zamperla monstrosity that's never open or a stupid vekoma tilt like that wont fill the void everyone will feel when kingda ka leaves so this is a lose lose situation for cedar fair like what happened to them they used to be such a great company but their management has gone so far down like we are in the jim reid anderson days again 😟
It's somehow sad to see it all faded and rusty. I remembered all the fanfare it had on TV, even the recent documentary was dubbed and broadcast many times.
I’m a kingda ka attendant as of rn and the crew has been talking about this for so long. Like since July. I didn’t believe it at all at first but now since it’s literally all over the place I’m kinda both sided.
I hope that at the very least, Formula Rossa is given an LSM launch, which may allow for the removal of the trim brakes (and the launch extending up the hill where those trims were if possible). It's essentially a super-sized mirror clone of ThunderVolt's layout
I got one ride on original dragster. Made an excuse to take my daughter during the 2020 season. Had to ride it with a mask- it was comical. So glad I did it. Go ride this if you can.
I don't think they remove it. Only as a last resort. Live in Columbus Ohio and have been to Cedar prob 15 times riding Top Thrill. Went on vacation and rode Ka,. It was the better of the two.
You know, I'd be more likely to make the trip to NJ from CT if they had an on-site hotel. As it stands, I just go to Lake Compounce and SFNE. Speaking of Lake Compounce: Wild Cat isn't terrible anymore. 80% of it has been re-done, with the other 20 coming over this off-season. It's actually enjoyable for a small woodie.
History lesson time! Cedar Fair goes all out in 2002 and builds an incredible new Intamin stratacoaster for the 2003 season, Top Thrill Dragster, shattering the roller coaster height and speed records in the process. Then, only 2 years later, Six Flags announces Kingda Ka, an incredible new Intamin stratacoaster with pretty much the exact same layout, and also announces that it will be just a little bit taller and faster than TTD, thereby stealing the records away from Cedar Fair. You go on to specify in the video that, despite the new merged companies of CF and SF being called the Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, that CEDAR FAIR are actually supposedly the ones with all of the power and say, and now it's really starting to look like that one of their very first major announcements may be the demolition of Kingda Ka. NOT a reimagining, just its destruction. Boys, I'm really starting to think this was the ONLY reason they wanted to merge with Six Flags, their mortal enemies in the Great Coaster Wars. Wanting to merge so they could pay off their colossal debts was just a sleight of hand. The TRUE reason was revenge on Six Flags and Kingda Ka for that record thievery all those years ago. Ah, I'm totally kidding... Or am I?
Plot twist: Kingda Ka enters the new Six Flags ride rotation program
“We’ve decided to move Kingda Ka to Six Flags America”
Bro could you imagine them taking it down and building up a 400ft coaster
@@oxygen3143Give it to SFA, they’ll take it, they’ll take anything.
It will be sold. Probably to the land of sand.
They should move it to CP and make TT2 a racing coaster 😂😂😂
yknow the coaster community getting scared when coaster studios and eltororyan make a video about the same topic on kingdaka within 1 hours (more like 45 minutes)
I was thinking the same thing
They made Knotts Giga videos too. Apparently they had inside information 😂
@@user-pl5ds8iz6q that was cancel tho. They were still right about the rumors
Imagine watching Coaster Studios.
Babe wake up eltororyan is on a king da ka video streak
So badly hoping they don't remove it. I only got one opportunity so far and unfortunately it closed for rain just before we got the chance.
So badly hoping they do remove it. I don't see myself getting the opportunity to ride this in the immediate future and if I did, I need it to be consistently open, which it can't.
@@AG7-MTMWhat a stupid comment.
As a European tourist who visited New York City this summer, I only discovered Six Flags Great Adventure after researching where this massive roller coaster, Kingda Ka, was located. I was lucky enough to ride it twice with my girlfriend, and honestly, we probably wouldn’t have visited the park if it weren’t for Kingda Ka. We had no clue about El Toro, Jersey Devil, Nitro, or many of the other coasters until just a few days before our visit. Kingda Ka is truly Six Flags Great Adventure's flagship ride and a technological masterpiece-you realize that the moment you enter the park.
Six Flags really needs to invest more in advertising, especially in places like New York and Philadelphia, instead of focusing on adding new rides. We didn’t see anything about the park in either city! Kingda Ka was the sole reason we decided to visit, and I’m sure we’re not the only ones who feel that way.
As a Canadian that go 2 or 3 times a year it would be nice to have hotels near the park too. Closest hotel is at least 15 minutes from SFGA.
This would be a massive blow not just to Six Flags guests but to a LOT of people in the NorthEast because King Da Ka is like one of the only really BIG coasters we have here. No other parks close to us have a giga coasters like this. This would be a huge blow to the attendance at this park.
Is nitro not a hyper coaster? And is el toro not intense enough?
@@PhongNguyen-po2zi I meant a 300ft+ coaster in the park. I forgot what those are called.
@@coolboss999 To be fair if they were to get rid of Kingda Ka, they would 100% replace it with something massive. Definitely not as tall as Kingda Ka, but at least a giga.
@@coolboss999 GIGA(for magic mountain)
@@coolboss999 Giga's and Kingda Ka is a strata
We could very well be watching the beginning of the end for Great Adventure. You don't remove your headliner and not expect to take a MASSIVE attendance hit.
Very possible.😢
The park will do just fine.
What do you mean by “the end”. They’re going to put a massive coaster within that spot.
@@buldasur2576 There already is a massive coaster there
Scream Machine saved the park from closing. Removing Ka will destroy it.
I have never been on Kingda Ka, but it's such a famous and iconic ride, it just seems crazy to me they'd tear it down.
"For those of you who are unfamiliar, a block zone is a section of ride that only one train may occupy." I'm very upset I didn't hear this.
I’m very fortunate that I got to take a day off from work, fly up and o NJ and ride Kingda Ka 4 times this past Sunday. 3 of those times were front row. It had been over three years since my last ride and I forgot just how powerful they launch us! Thank you for the heads up to go ride it again! Hopefully not my last time riding, but I’m happy to have ridden it again!
I commented this on another channel today:
The total area Fury 325 uses is about 333,000 square feet.
The total area of Green Lantern (also rumored to close) and Kingda Ka is about 380,000 square feet. There is absolutely enough room for a BEAST of a giga. Perhaps even a lift hill strata.
Lift hill strata would make up for it
Giga is the ONLY acceptable replacement for ka
@@RochD2 or b&m strata
@@Random_Eebs IMO, a lift hill will never make up for a launch.
@@eddieholt8222 maybe something like maverick but scaled up 4x
Late October seems way too late to announced the closure of Kingda Ka.
They're already selling 2025 season passes and moved Flash: VV opening to next year.
This would be killing John Wick's dog level of bad PR
Fun fact: kingda ka has more mechanics and maintenance personnel dedicated to it than most parks have for the whole park lmao
My first and only visit to Great Adventure was in 2016. The trip was supposed to happen only in NYC, but since my parents knew I loved amusement parks (and we don't have a lot of high end parks around here in Brazil), they took me to Six Flags. I only rode Ka once, and I remember it was such a cloudy day that the tower was above the clouds, yet they were still operating the ride. It wasn't my favourite coaster, but it probably was the most remarkable coaster ride I've done. I really hope this icon doesn't go
I am gonna point out. As having my home park be Knotts berry farm, run by cedar fair, a year or so back xcelerator came back from a multi year shutdown and it has been running fantastically with minimal downtime since. Cedar fair is not blindly removing every hydraulic launch they had, it’s on a different scale but they were putting in a lot of work and a lot of money on xcelerator, so while runouts are scary, cedar fair has acted in different ways to hydraulic launches needing fixes on different coasters
The difference between Xcelerator and something like Kingda Ka and the original Top Thrill Dragster is that Xcelerator is much smaller and not as fast, meaning that wear-and-tear and maintenance is not as intense compared to the latter two coasters. It's even possible some of the old parts from Top Thrill Dragster were used as spare parts for Xcelerator, which could be why it's up-and-running like normal again.
@@ToaOfFusion agreed, I mentioned the difference in scale but it is a massive factor. I hadn’t considered the idea of top thrills parts being used on xcelerator but it does sound plausible and would be damming, as Knotts has literally no space so they’d essentially have to take it down or keep the launch. So there is a chance that they aren’t willing to keep any out of that circumstance. I still think it makes it more likely they are not gonna remove it, but I see the point.
If they really do close Ka, I may never go back to that park again, considering how many other huge parks I've never been to that I should try instead, and Ka was the main attraction for me at Great Adventure. I am so glad I got to write Ka 4 times this summer (making that 5 total rides, modest, I know, but enough to appreciate Ka) as it is maybe my favorite coaster I've ever been on.
Converting it into an Intamin LSM Multi Launch coaster with an extended layout is probably the best option compromising ride operations and maintenance, iconography, and overall entertainment value for the park.
I would agree with you if Zamperla didn't bomb on Top thrill dragster. And I don't think intamin would want to do it.
@@JoeyH-sb3fq I disagree. Intamin has been on Cedar Fair's bad list for years now, mostly because of the headache some of their rides have been to maintain. Now that they've merged with Six Flags, it could be an opportunity for a fresh start with Intamin, and if it were to pay off it would place them back on the newly merged company's good list, which just means a large number of parks that would now be able to get new Intamin made rides. So I have to think that Intamin would absolutely be willing to take on the project.
Unless Six Flags Great Adventure releases an official statement confirming the closure or demolition of Kingda Ka, I believe the most likely scenario is a replacement of the hydraulic launch system with an LSM launch, similar to what’s been done with Top Thrill 2. It’s also possible they’ll retrack some of the more stressed sections where high G-forces are affecting the track. I highly doubt they would remove their record-breaking coaster entirely without clear communication.
IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER: "TOP THRILL DRAGSTER" WAS ANNOUNCED SIMPLY AS "CLOSING" BEFORE IT WAS ANNOUNCED AS BEING CONVERTED. So all _closure_ means is "fate pending"
Another important thing to consider is the incident that caused Top Thrill Dragster to close in the first place. Cedar Fair undoubtedly want to make sure Kingda Ka doesn't have a similar incident on their watch now that it's their problem, and the ride would have to close at least temporarily for them to be able to make a full assessment of its condition.
A connection you could have done with making more explicitly: The massive teething troubles with Top Thrill 2, and the extent to which Kingda Ka's closure/removal is being muttered about.
A conversion might still be on the cards, but that's undountedly contingent on how much more grief they have with TT2 before it's running smoothly.
No it wasn’t. It was announced to not operate for the season a couple times after the accident and then they announced TTD was done as we know it but they were working on how to re-imagine the ride.
Meanwhile, Cedar Fair never replaced Vortex at Kings Island...
They are still working on that.
@@davidrivera9743 meh...maybe...it better be good
posted this on coaster studios's video and reposting here since it sums up my thoughts very well:
so a lot of the rumors talk about replacing this with another 400ft tall coaster, right? usually the mack xtreme spinner shuttle we saw. i just don't understand in which universe that's a better decision!!
- while mack are reliable, they have yet to make a coaster that tall, and their current tallest coaster, hyperia, did have some issues upon opening
- but let's say you full trust mack, fair enough! can't you just trust THEM to lsm kingda ka instead of zamperla? the tt2 issue was because of zamperla's inexperience, not because refurbing a strata is impossible.
- another thing to note is that likely zumanjaro would go too!
doesn't it just make more sense to make use of the parts of ka ALREADY there which AREN'T problematic, i.e. trackwork and supports, and build upon that? instead of demolishing a whole 400ft tall coaster to build a brand new 400ft coaster and throwing out the worlds tallest drop tower along the way?
this isn't a disagreement with you, sarah and taylor, it's a disagreement with the philosophy of the new merged six flags company, if this all turns out to be true after all, which i don't doubt, but strongly hope isn't. they'd be making a disservice to their legacy as an amusement park chain, dare i say, by tearing down ka and zumanjaro. i REALLY hope they just refurb it
and ofc, if they just take it down without a worthy replacement, i think that's gonna leave gigantic gap in this park's ride lineup, for locals and tourists that were used to / expecting a 400ft coaster, and i don't think that will bode well for their numbers.
Let’s say they get a coaster that’s better then Ka. Is it really pushing the lineup that much forward? Also you would be losing zumanjaro which is one of if not the best drop tower out there and it duels with Ka. That is a massive loss and any drop tower they get after will feel less than. You could also be losing green lantern which I know most people don’t like but I think it’s a solid ride. I just don’t see this as a net positive. However the only good thing is that this doesn’t really change how much longer it would take for great adventure to get a new coaster because they’re already getting flash the year before. That would be for their next coaster that wouldn’t replace a already existing coaster.
Green Lantern should return to Kentucky Kingdom as a floorless coaster
Green lantern is the worst coaster I've ever been on 😅 my poor privates 😂
@cearathibodeau1852 you could say Green Lantern is a ride which women would enjoy more
@@darealsavage3472As a woman, believe me, there is NO enjoyment to be found on that ride!!
it seems like the move in US parks is to make weaker rides that are more family friendly and high capacity so I am not sure that there would be a replacement that would make coaster junkies happy
I gotta be honest and I just commented this on coaster studios video but The thing that gets me is literally everyone is covering this topic and i mean everyone keeps saying along the lines of "behind the scenes talks" or "ideas floating around" or "ideas being discussed" All with zero supporting evidence. Who is the one saying this, where are the rumors coming from. Everyone that is covering this rumor should list credible sources. It's getting annoying when all everyone that is covering this is saying essentially "we've heard from behind the scenes." Cite sources. Credible ones. Show documents or whatever it is that proves it's done. Everyone's been saying we've heard this and that without who's actually saying it or what documents are stating this.
It started with the keep riding coasters dude. Don't know if he made it up, and it's simply a game of telephone or they all have the same source that doesn't know much, etc.
the “source” did get the fact that zamperla was revamping top thrill dragster correct wayyyy before top thrill 2 was announced, so i trust it imo
Releasing the names of people who are not supposed to be giving out inside information like this will result in them losing their jobs. That is the reason nobody is saying who exactly is giving out these secrets
@@ZMSaypol coaster studios made the same point and my response was, When I was an employee of great adventure from the 2010-2013 season we all knew chang was coming to the park and weren't allowed to speak about it. HOWEVER, there was permits filed, etc etc that all pointed to Chang being the coaster coming to the park that fueled rumors and proved points in the public. The difference here is there is zero documents supporting this that have come forward and its just a loop of weve heard this and that. No demolition permits, no construction permits, nothing. It's the age old "because the dippin dots guy said so" argument that is being taken as fact. I do appreciate that ryan states that plans change and nothing is 100%
Honestly that’s kinda idiotic to say, El toro Ryan’s source predicted the entire top thrill 2 situation with 100% accuracy. This is the guy to trust. If the names were released they would lose their job and get is huge trouble
Man, I remember watching so many videos about Kingda Ka as a kid on RUclips, whether it be documentaries, POVs, or recreations in RCT3 or NoLimits. Never had the chance to actually ride it, and now I'm sad I likely never will 😭
I don't really buy maintenance costs for a possible closure. Those costs are much lower than the capital costs of a new major ride and they likely haven't changed much over time, meaning why now? There is a high likely hood of this being an internet rumor getting passed around. The ride probably has a useful life of 5-10 more years. I see no reason for them to be in a rush to get rid of a paid-off major attraction. It would be smart of them to let the TT2 situation get played out before deciding the fate of this coaster.
Keep'r going!
If it gets removed they need to replace it with something just as tall or taller,Its about time we see a 500ft lift hill coaster.Glad I got to ride it.
I hope they convert it; it’s too iconic
Don’t think it’s going to be removed. I think it’s going to be reimagined.
Kingda Ka is such a legendary ride, it’s a landmark and known worldwide. Either this is about to collapse or they don’t know what they’re doing
Removing Kingda Ka would be the absolute death of Great Adventure. The entirety of the park's tourism would disappear. Removing it to build a hotel that no one would stay in because you got rid of Kingda Ka is absolutely inane. I just pray we are all really wrong about what's happening.
Feels unreal that one of if not the most iconic and famous roller coasters in the world is headed to its end
If they were to do anything, I believe the best case scenario would be Intamin LSM with extended layout, possibly using that Green Lantern plot. I would have to believe they could do without swing launch especially given the vertical LSMs they make now. Kind of what a lot of people wanted before details came out on top thrill 2.
Cedar Fair is certainly ruthless enough to do it this year, they even did it to an entire park in Geauga Lake with no warning. I would hope the potential PR backlash is enough to at least give a long notice. If they do close it, an Intamin-led refurb would be my vote, one that would hopefully allow Zumanjaro to survive. Hope the new six flags and intamin can make up though...
The PR on it would cause people that know to leave and never come back. The park I thought was going to be in jeopardy with the merger was Dorney Park not GA pulling up stakes on Ka and not replacing would be that level bad.
If the track is still good enough to re-imagine the ride that would be cool, use LSMs with a swing launch and/or track extension. It could have larger circuit that builds up to ~90mph before making a banked turn and then boosting the rest of the way on the current track.
Congrats Ryan on 150 K subs!!
Meanwhile, at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, the Big Bad Wolf is returning in 2025 during the Parks 50th anniversary.
That was another epic f*ck-up. Removing Big Bad Wolf. The replacement coaster Verboten is great, but Wolf was another iconic ride that deserved re-imagining. Glad the fans got their way on naming the new coaster.
I grew up in China and have always loved coasters but couldn't learn more about them since many websites and videos are not accessible from there and there are very few enthusiasts in China. But we still traveled around a lot to ride coasters, I just never cared to learn about them since I didn't know coaster enthusiasts are a thing. There are only two coasters that I really knew about back then: Kingda Ka and Millennium Force, they are so famous that even with limited access to media I still know about them.
Then we moved to NJ in 2018 and I knew I had to ride Kingda Ka. I loved that ride so much that I started to look up coasters for the first time and learned all about the manufactures, the elements, the physics and science and engineering behind coasters, and the awesome coaster community of enthusiasts. It all started with Ka and for that reason Ka has a very special place in my heart. I will be so sad if Ka really is meeting the end.
(I wrote this comment again after my last comment disappeared lol)
捉到了野生的你~ 😇
@@candice1989fx 哈哈哈会长好
Nooooo it’s the only strata with a hydraulic launch
It would be a huge shame if strata hydraulic launch coaster goes extinct
They are slowly removing hydraulic launches it’s sad and compressed air launches as well and replacing them with lsm it’s horrible now all of our fave rides are slowly going so gotta ride them quick
thrust air launches are the one type of launch coasters that are officially extinct because one of the reasons the 2021 accident on Do-Dodonpa in Japan when people bones broke even they followed the ride rules
@@massachusettscoastersmaxx force is operating just fine
It’s crazy they wouldn’t at least advertise the closure to give people a chance to come ride it one last time.
Removal would be very very stupid. Now that Top Thrill no longer uses the hydraulic launch system. I think this ride will still hold up. Nothing like a hydro launch in my opinion.
Yea, the repair cost would be the killer of the ride unfortunately. No matter how popular
Very sad to hear. In college I participated in a Hydraulic Bike competition for my senior design project. One of the main sponsors of the competition supplies numerous hydraulic parts for the launches. They stated if Intamin had just had a hydraulic company design the launch and components it would be much more reliable. They are also sad to see the industry move away from this fluid science to just use electricity (LSM) for launches. I have always wondered how rides like Stormrunner, Stealth, and other hydraulic launches don't seem to have nearly as many problems.
well maybe for the case of storm runner since it’s not a big and fast as ka the wear and tear isn’t as bad but when i go there storm runner is a hit or miss for being open throughout the day or closed.
surely if it shuts down, and cost is important for cedar fair, i think they would sell it to another park
This would be so stupid considering they repainted the trains and they look gorgeous
I still think that the plan was to potentially give it a similar treatment as TT2 but also extend the layout into the green lantern plot. They could have closed Green Lantern and removed it in the off season will opening up Ka to start the season then close it for the refresh mid summer and have it ready for the following season. But the issues with TT2 have ether canceled or put that idea on hold. While they make that final decision I feel KingDa Ka will go to a SBNO until the decision is made.
Hey Ryan! Have you ever considered uploading the audio from your videos to Spotify, Apple, etc in podcast form? Idk if that is possible but I’d love to listen more while I’m at work!
There is zero reason for them to build a hotel if they remove King da ka period I would totally short their back if they did that
Sounds to me like a major issue has come up that will need addressed inevitably and now its about how long the ride will last until they can retrofit it with an LSM if that is in fact an option.
Here’s something else to consider; these 100+ mph launch coasters that were the byproduct of the coaster wars are becoming extinct. Top Thrill Dragster and Do-Dodonpa have gone, Formula Rossa is likely getting a less intense launch, and now this. And with the hydraulic launch in general becoming increasingly rare, combined with Falcon’s Flight inching towards completion and the eventual shattering of Ka’s big record, and there is a LOT of reason to speculate that this ride might be gone soon. The amusement industry is not what it was in 2005, and with record-breaking new rides becoming less and less frequent, I’m actually on the side that these rumors are more likely than not true, if not this year, then definitely next year. I pray that I’m wrong, but it just makes too much sense
It could definitely make sense they will ask Intamin to install their new LSM's on Kingda Ka. Because I highly doubt they will close it down forever without giving advanced notice to the public
I will happily NEVER step foot in this plummeting park again if this ride is removed. L on all sides, don't care.
SAME.
What if they build a giga in its place?
Cool
They could always build a replacement…
Bye.
What I don’t understand is how falcons flight is supposed to work with LSMs but they can’t retrofit them to this? Is there not enough track for the LSMs to pick up enough speed to get over the top hat? With TT2 the only real issue is the trains, and if they bought intamins trains that they plan on using for falcons flight for both of the strata coasters, wouldn’t that solve the issue? I understand that would be expensive but building a whole new coaster would be too. Idk I’m probably wrong but the whole thing just doesn’t fully add up in my head.
Kingda Ka was the rollercoaster that got me to start caring about coasters back when I was around 11. It was always the bucket list ride, the world record holder. It was my favorite for years, all the way until I went on it in 2019. It was raining the day I went, so it had closed for a while because of weather, and I remember the guy at the control panel basically told me and my brother to not waste our time in the station and go on other rides because it would be a while. Eventually, we came back when it was open, and there was something so surreal about fulfilling a childhood dream (granted I was 13, but still).
In my mind, Ka is the definitive rollercoaster. It has a vibe that is unparalleled, and while it's world record won't be around for much longer, there's something special for a park to say that they had the former world record holder, and the current continental record holder. As Akio Toyoda said about the Lexus LFA, it was a halo car that was valuable for the rest of the company (by showing "hey, we can make this really cool car!" it makes people think higher of your normal production models), even if it didn't sell well. It may be expensive to operate, but when people think of Six Flags Great Adventure, they think "Oh, that's the park with Kingda Ka!" Removing it would be a truly terrible decision. Even if they close it disassembling it should be a crime. Them coming out and saying that they just can't afford it and it could kill the whole park could limit the reputational damage, but in that case, they should leave the physical coaster there as a monument to the past and to the history of the park (and leave the potential for reopening if they could figure out a way to make it more reliable).
I think they might pull something out of left field and go to Intamin for a refit like they did with ttd at first. I’m still kind of thinking they are closing KK “as we know it”. kk will be redone, green lantern removed and KK extended into the plot of land
The park could loose a lot of guests I would hope that won’t happen though
Intamin is working on a new LSM technology with the same power as an hydraulic launch. Kingda Ka can be the first one and prove the technology is ready !
This is my favourite scenario 🤞🤞🤞
My guess is it gets the TT2 treatment however Intamin does it instead of Zamperla. Either that, or it gets a new hydraulic launch from Gerstlauer like Xcelerator got. I just cant see them removing Ka entirely
Man I’d like to get out there someday before they remove it, but idk if that’ll ever happen. At least I got to ride the original Top Thrill though
six flags is making their flagship parks magic mountain, canada's wonderland, and cedar point. Kinda ka competes with TT2. They want to drive traffic to the destination cedar point, and making only one kind of record coaster there will help their strategy.
I love what you said about extending and at the very least I would LOVE that. I just imagine Ka with a swing launch and massive spike and then extending the layout to basically a giga coaster. That would be amazing. That would the only thing I would accept about change or “removal” of this ride. But this coaster is so iconic man. Like I get it. Business, maintenance, cost, all that. But damn 😢
Cedar Fair should call General Atomics and have them change the launch system to an EMALS
I live 6.5 hours from great adventure and have yet to max the journey. I’d be heartbroken if I never get to ride because they never do a formal last day. I would absolutely be trying to drive my way over there if I’m given even a couple weeks heads up.
Removing such a legendary coaster would definitely cause outrage towards the community & the fans of the coaster
I would definitely go for a massive refurbishment & give Kingda Ka a LSM Launch, as it's maintenance doesn't cost that much as a Hydraulic Launch.
The idea then to extend the launch would definitely be a good idea
Yeah I'm from New Zealand, wanted to ride this since I was a kid. Finally planning a US trip for 2025 or 2026, hope this isn't closed lmao.
I hope you get to make the trip. Ka’s an amazing ride. Nothing else like it
The most crucial part is the state of the track. TT2 was getting precise 3D scanning of the whole track. It could be deformed too much in too many areas and might need a lot of retracking if the track is to be re-used for a reimagined ride.
So they're apparently going to get rid of two of their headlining, record breaking attractions that have nothing wrong with them to save money on maintainence?
Saving them a supposed 1 million per year?
Then they have to spend at least 50 million plus on a new attraction/s not to mention the cost of removal...
So in conclusion to save 1 million theyre going to spend 50 million plus.
The math aint mathing
And green Lantern on top of that.
It seems obvious that they're just going to give it the TT2 treatment
Back in 2019, I visited with my boyfriend all the way from Iceland and finally got to ride Kingda Ka twice, thanks to a platinum fast pass. I’d been obsessed with the engineering of rides like that since I was a kid. I also rode Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point thankfully before the reconfigurations. I get that maintaining these rides is tough and it must cause the business stress, but they pull in visitors from all over the world and boost revenue in other areas. Maybe parks should look into state sponsorship? Maybe slapping the governor’s face on the side of the coaster for $?
Thank you for citing your sources!
How his source would lose his job nitwit
This ride is literally the reason I became a coaster enthusiast. I will be so sad if I don’t get another chance to ride it before it closes
Lsm with a switcher perhaps? If they rework it, they really need to increase throughput
They promised a lot for 2024 and delivered virtually nothing! No more season passes for me unless they keep Kingda Ka!
What if kingda ka closes but isn't removed and the re-imagining isn't even mentioned... BUT, with the removal of green lantern and the other flat rides, what if kingda ka gets an lsm launch and a layout extension into the green lantern area. Or perhaps a second lsm launch into a second new inverted tophat. And intamin should do it.
When you talk about roller coasters most people know about kingda ka it’s basically Great Adventure Icon. This isn’t like TTD at Cedar point Gadv doesn’t have multiple legendary class coasters to draw people. If the new Cedar fair executives can’t get off their high horse with intamin to retrofit kingda ka. Hershey park seems to be a better choice than this dying park.
Before I moved, Six Flags Great Adventure was the "local" theme park and Kingda Ka was the *only* ride I was too afraid to ride. Eventually I just stopped going and one day I want to go back to Jersey and ride it.
I feel like most parts are losing or lost touch with their fan base. Putting $$$ before everything else is really going to start taking a greater toll on parks more than it already has. If they remove Kingda Ka and put a hotel in I think the park is really going to alienate many park goers. Personally I think they should hold onto the ride as long as possible, even if that means doing a conversion somewhat like Top Thrill. I was glad Busch Gardens found a way to keep Loch ness Moster, this is what parks should be doing for ground breaking and historic rides. A new bigger and supposedly better ride is not always the answer. Hang onto those ionic rides as long as you can.
You should be the CEO. I agree 100% with your thoughts.
I think the biggest reason the rumors started was the TT2 refurb and then the following mess with it. We know it's a high cost/maintenance ride and operates on a launch system that the new company is already wanting to be rid of. I don't see it going in the next 5 years unless one of two things happen.
A) Zamperla's TT2 refurb issue is fixed in a way that the new company is satisfied with and it gets the same treatment.
B) They decide the cost/runtime numbers don't meet expectations enough to justify keeping it any longer.
I really don't think it has anything to do with TT2 retaking a record which it would lose again as soon as Falcon's Flight opens.
If anything it's going to be a mixture of cost/runtime/age making it just not a sound investment to keep any longer.
I am sure cost is a big factor. My understanding is, even with the merger there is still a large debt.
It’s all about cost.
I went to six flags (my first ever six flags) back in 2021 I was lucky/ unlucky with King da ka. Lucky I was able to ride it. Unlucky because the car in front of us had a roll back. I’m gonna try to make a trip from FL back up next year hopefully it’s still open.
Aw man, when I heard the rumors I was ready to plan a trip to Great Adventure from SoCal next year just to ensure that I could get on this ride before it closes. But if they close it this season I just plain won't have the time to book a trip. If this is true, I REALLY hope they give us ample notice.
I'd be sad to see Ka go, & would love to see an LSM convert with an extended layout. IMO It would be a better marketing move considering how KA is such a well known coaster outside of the enthusiast community. Hell, Ka and TTD end of the coaster wars was the reason I became so interested as a kid and why I'm an enthusiast today.
I see this as an executive decision that benefits executives. I hope that they first asked how do we keep this running before asking does this make sense financially. Removing a landmark is not a good start to this merger. Install the lsm's if needed.
We should have a vote in this
I hope they don't remove it before I get a chance to ride it once!
I’d plan on rushing a visit out there then.
I LOVE LSM lift hills like Maverick. If you make a giga coaster with a really fast LSM lift hill, that would be super fun. Even the vertical launch coasters by Intamin are sweet looking.
I would be SHOCKED if it closed in 2024. I think we get an announcement in February that 2025 is the last season for Ka and Lanturn. You’re right, they need a plan before closing 2 major attractions. A true on site hotel and new coaster would be huge for this park
I am going to throw another option to the table: the air-compressed launch from S&S. Yes, they need a little bit of research, cause nowadays the fastest launch is 133km/h, but Do--Dodonpa reached 180km/h so it could be possible...
The thing is: If you remove KdK, you have to immediately place another massive thing to fill the empty space, and that is going to cost way much than refurbishing the coaster itself. They have options, so first option may be this.
For the Green Lanter thing, we do not have to forget that this coaster was at Kentucky and moved here, so is way older than you think. However, B&M could potentially study if those surfing trains fit the ride propperly. Three new trains is not that expensive, if you are thinking on removing the coaster and building a new one. This is the only way this coaster may be safed. If not, just trash it.
The brake fins are so faulty with the moving parts and sensors? That’s why they’re always working on them? Just save up and pay the costs. We know they can afford it. They knew what they were getting themselves into when they bought it!
That ride is always down for repair. I got lucky to go on it once out of all years I've got to Kingdom Ka
I say expend the layout. Not a swing launch but have two LSM launch areas. The first launch could get the ride up to 70 mph and loop around via some over banked turns to the another launch area that starts almost the same area as the first launch. The second launch will reach the speeds needed to get up the tower. SOLD!
New Jersey GP better make a HUGE deal if six flags says they’re gonna close it in an attempt to sway six flags decision.
After watching the documentary you posted last night it reminded me of another reason why we don't see these 400ft+ coasters anymore: the height itself made it a extremely slow process to be able to complete the top hat in the environment it's in. Flacon's Flight likely didn't really suffer much from this as it is in a desert. I kind of viewed Kingda Ka as being more reliable than Dragster as Intamin probably learned a few things to make it run for efficiently, but that said you can only run something that goes 128mph for so long and 20 years is a good run. I could either see it being removed or modified, but with the management learning from their mistakes from TT2 and going back with Intamin, completely removing the station, adding a back spike, and extending the layout. Removing the coaster would probably be costly as it would be challenging building it... or they could topple it over into the nearby parking lot. I definitely see Green Lantern going somewhere else in the company and getting floorless trains.
Green Lantern is likely going elsewehere with new trains - either floorless or conventional trains. My guess is it would go to Valley Fair or Michigan Adventures or Darien Lake or Great Escape
I'm glad I got one front row ride, after two back row rides. Wish my 2nd back row ride was a front row ride but the line was too long and I didn't want to risk the ride going down. The difference between the front and back makes all the difference between an elite ride and a bad ride.
I honestly dont want to see ka leave like everyone but I feel like it carries so much of the park's history and the theme is just out of this world especially for a Six Flags coaster and if it gets removed we better be getting a new velocicoaster type intamin because I could care less about a giga and that honestly the only thing I hear out of peoples mouths but a giga is the last thing this park needs to be honest but given the fact that cedar fair just wants to completely do away with kingda ka all together and not even consult with intamin about a potential lsm conversion makes me a little scared with what Cedar Fair will put in its plot like the last thing I want to see is some zamperla monstrosity that's never open or a stupid vekoma tilt like that wont fill the void everyone will feel when kingda ka leaves so this is a lose lose situation for cedar fair like what happened to them they used to be such a great company but their management has gone so far down like we are in the jim reid anderson days again 😟
It's somehow sad to see it all faded and rusty. I remembered all the fanfare it had on TV, even the recent documentary was dubbed and broadcast many times.
I’m a kingda ka attendant as of rn and the crew has been talking about this for so long. Like since July. I didn’t believe it at all at first but now since it’s literally all over the place I’m kinda both sided.
We’re you there this weekend
@@buldasur2576 yeah I was on Saturday
I hope that at the very least, Formula Rossa is given an LSM launch, which may allow for the removal of the trim brakes (and the launch extending up the hill where those trims were if possible). It's essentially a super-sized mirror clone of ThunderVolt's layout
New news, there getting a new zamperla double heart
💜 💜
I say just combine them. *Green Kingda Ka.* It would _definitely_ shock the world.
I got one ride on original dragster. Made an excuse to take my daughter during the 2020 season. Had to ride it with a mask- it was comical. So glad I did it. Go ride this if you can.
I don't think they remove it. Only as a last resort. Live in Columbus Ohio and have been to Cedar prob 15 times riding Top Thrill. Went on vacation and rode Ka,. It was the better of the two.
You know, I'd be more likely to make the trip to NJ from CT if they had an on-site hotel. As it stands, I just go to Lake Compounce and SFNE. Speaking of Lake Compounce: Wild Cat isn't terrible anymore. 80% of it has been re-done, with the other 20 coming over this off-season. It's actually enjoyable for a small woodie.
History lesson time!
Cedar Fair goes all out in 2002 and builds an incredible new Intamin stratacoaster for the 2003 season, Top Thrill Dragster, shattering the roller coaster height and speed records in the process. Then, only 2 years later, Six Flags announces Kingda Ka, an incredible new Intamin stratacoaster with pretty much the exact same layout, and also announces that it will be just a little bit taller and faster than TTD, thereby stealing the records away from Cedar Fair.
You go on to specify in the video that, despite the new merged companies of CF and SF being called the Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, that CEDAR FAIR are actually supposedly the ones with all of the power and say, and now it's really starting to look like that one of their very first major announcements may be the demolition of Kingda Ka. NOT a reimagining, just its destruction.
Boys, I'm really starting to think this was the ONLY reason they wanted to merge with Six Flags, their mortal enemies in the Great Coaster Wars. Wanting to merge so they could pay off their colossal debts was just a sleight of hand. The TRUE reason was revenge on Six Flags and Kingda Ka for that record thievery all those years ago. Ah, I'm totally kidding...
Or am I?