Let us make it clear that we won’t make videos about rumors that we don’t think have legitimacy to them (doesn’t guarantee they are true though of course) That’s why we didn’t jump on it the minute it became a hot topic. We try to always have integrity and choose being reliable sources over getting views! That being said, we will not disclose where information comes from, but trust that we wouldn’t be talking about this if it was solely based off of social media riff raff.
Hope you guys didn’t think I was questioning your credibility, I just don’t personally believe they’re gonna get rid of it but I’m probably wrong lol🤷♂️
When you said in the next two weeks, my heart dropped. This is on my major bucket list to do. I’ve always had an attachment to the ride ever since I was in kindergarten watching the different povs of this, Formula Rossa, Top Thrill Dragster and just in general, I was constantly talking about Kingda Ka, a fitting name for a king of the industry. I am not alone in this I realize but this will be a huge blow to SFGA and to a bunch of thoosie’s souls
I went to do Kingda Ka a long time ago, but I was scared off of it and never rode it, and now I might never have the chance to do it. I went to Cedar Point this summer to do Top Thrill 2, and it wasn’t open either. Will I be able to do one at some point…?
It was gonna happen within a couple of years or at least it will be. It either gets the TTD treatment or its gonna be torn down. They do need a very good replacement for it though so you might get something way better in return. Although i'm gonna miss the launch that might be the last really high accel one.
They would probably Need to build a huge new coaster, otherwise they might lose their popularity. El Toro would probably still motivate people to go to the Park, but Ka might be more interesting for general Park guests
@@flooo7045 not only does it need to be huge, but it needs to be one of a kind... I been seeing people say a B&M Giga would be a nice replace but I don't think I like that idea :(
Worst part of being a roller coaster fan is the limited time to experience certain attractions. Thankfully most of them stay open for a decent amount of time, but it can still hurt knowing you won't get to experience that ride. (I'm still bitter about chickening out of Dueling Dragons as a kid for that reason)
Just give Intamin a shot. It’s their speciality doing stuff like that. They’re building the coaster taking its record. Let them do the extended layout they proposed for TT2, they aren’t the same company they were years ago
There needs to be SERIOUS push back if there’s any legitimacy to these rumors. There’s no way removing a ride as iconic as Ka was the best possible option especially when Intamin allegedly had a plan to retrofit Dragster. I’m not looking forward to the future of Six Flags if the Cedar Fair legacy management continues to make drastic decisions such as this rumor.
In all honesty what will pushback do not a thing! In all reality the parks management dont care how angry or upset we get with this. They dont care what we think ethier unfortunately. There going to do what makes sense to them even if it does not make sense to us. Thats just the realty of this situation.
Closing Ka would be the worst mistake SFGA ever made in their 50 year history! People come from all over to ride this one of a kind record breaking coaster and if they close it preeminently attendance is gonna plummet and will cost a fortune to dismantle it. I understand it's expensive to maintain with the launch and everything but it's a big reason why people visit SFGA. If anything they should leave it up for one more year for the 20th anniversary and then do what Cedar Point did to Top Thrill (even though that hasn't worked out yet but hopefully they'll figure it out) and instead of hiring Zamperlla to fix Ka hire Intamin to fix it. I sure hope Ka stays otherwise SFGA will lose a customer (and a lot of others)! I'm glad I got to ride it a few weeks ago which might be (hopefully not) my last time.
and I don't think they realise that once a roller coaster is iconic enough, it doesn't matter if it is no longer the current record holder - enthusiasts and people in general will still come whenever they can to ride it. Most people don't have going to Saudi Arabia on their bucket list so this is still a great alternative to everyone in America pretty much. I don't know how they could top it to be honest, I think they'd have to at least continue with the same exact theme so that they don't lose the brand of 'kingda ka' when they lose the ride - but it won't be the same
@@all-caps3927 I agree and although Ka isn’t the world’s tallest and fastest roller coaster it’s still the tallest and fastest in America and the western hemisphere. SFGA is only about 2 1/2 hours from me so it’s a convenience for me to go and ride the tallest and fastest coaster in America so I would still ride even if it’s not the tallest and fastest in the world because it’s a lot harder for me to go to Saudi Arabia and I have no interest in visiting that country just to ride the world’s tallest and fastest roller coaster.
Yeah exactly. The park has a good lineup that makes them attract the general audience from all over the northeast. But Kingda Ka makes them attract general audiences from all over THE WORLD! It is by far the one Six Flags park that has the most foreign visitors of any in the chain, exactly because of Kingda Ka combined with the park's proximity to New York City. To the general public across the world, Kingda Ka is the park's icon, the one reason to go there. Without it, the park is just gonna be left in the dust. A relative nobody in the industry and gonna lose out on a vast amount of tourist attendance. It's a financial disaster in the making.
@@zacharyyamashita8554 They WONT be retrofitting anything! They are not going to refurb it ethier due to the nightmare of a refurb with TT2 that they are experiencing. I see alot of people commenting here thinking with there emotions first and not using logical thinking. In all reality the parks management dont care what we think. There going to go ahead and do what they want to do.
I know I usually make sarcastic comments but not today. I know the launch is expensive. I get it. But we want the tower to STAY. I know TT2 is a train wreck right now but at least wait to see how that pans out or work with intamin. They’re a very different company then they were 20 years ago. Cedar Fair wants to tear the whole thing down and here’s their reasons: 1. Like I just mentioned the price of the launch. 2. TT2 not working out. 3. Ka took the record from them all these years ago and I’m sure there’s still resentment there. TT2 is there baby. They don’t care about Ka. It’s just the icing on the cake. I also think they want to make there own big statement with great adventure.
@@bearclaw5115 I never said that was the Sole reason why. Probably is a much smaller factor. However if you don’t think there is nothing there then you’re just wrong. Companies don’t forget about those things.
Kingda Ka was one of the roller coasters that got me into roller coasters over 15 years ago. I could not stop talking about this ride when I was 6 years old. However, being from Pittsburgh, there was never a good excuse to go out and ride it. It's really sad and crushing to think I might never get the chance to ride it.
Ka had the same effect on me, and it was total luck that my family was in the area back in 2019 so i could go on it. It was raining, so it nearly didn't happen the launch is absolutely brutal. there's so many g forces and the wind buffets your head against the headrest like there's no tomorrow. I thought i was about to pass out (i love Fast Things, so that's a big positive (minus the discomfort of banging my head)). as soon as you start to climb up, the acceleration letting up and realizing you're actually on Ka sinks in and it's so surreal. The view from the top is really cool, and even on rides that don't roll back, it feels like it's gonna. The drop down feels so much longer than the ride up, and it feels as tall as it is. Even the final hill feels massive (shocker, the big hill feels big). It's such an experience, and I really hope you can get it.
Cedar Fair's unfortunately done that before. This whole thing reminds me of Volcano's closure, randomly closing the parks most iconic/fan favorite rollercoaster with next to no notice.
No, I hope this isn’t true ! Being a UK coaster enthusiast it’s been my number one bucket list ride. Ever since I watched a documentary series of the construction of the ride as a child. I’ve had to put off trips to the States numerous times, every time thinking ‘it’s alright, I’ll get to ride year instead’. If I never get to ride this I’ll be upset ! Just goes to show that if there’s something you really want to experience in life it’s always best to get it done asap because nothing lasts forever.
Had that problem with TTD so i went over the next year to do Ka this was so predictable although i thought it would last for at least one more seizone.
I hope that if they announce its closure, they announce that next year will be its final season. My son is 8 and finally grew tall enough to ride all the big roller coaster. This is his biggest bucket list coaster and he'll be very upset to see it go before he gets a chance to ride it
I am so glad I convinced my Dad to take me to great adventure this summer, I got 4 rides then. It was my third time being at the park, and my second time riding Ka. It will be sorely missed. It is easily the best roller coaster I've ever ridden.
I just went for the first time this summer and also got 4 rides on it. I really hope they don’t close it since it was my first time at great adventure and I don’t want my first time in Kingda ka to be my last.
We flew from Seattle in June just to ride Kingda Ka (and El Toro). So glad we were able to do several rides on it when we went! Its the first coaster in years that I was actually nervous to ride.
Same! I flew last june from the Netherlands to experience this ride (and 200+ other coasters during that trip)! Ka made an impression. What a ride. Not the best one, but a one of a kind experience. To everyone: just get rides on this thing (and all hydraulic launch coasters, like Storm runner and Xcellerator).
I don't buy the rumors for 2 reasons 1) First, a lot of people forget that Kingda Ka is a huge ride. So removing it would be expensive and difficult. A lot of the ride's supports and footers are literally dug 100+ ft underground, which would literally be impossible to remove. Also due to its size, it would need to be removed piece by piece. It can't just be blown up like Wicked Twister, it would risk damaging other attractions in the park. Even if it was easy, it would be EXPENSIVE to remove this ride. 2) I don't buy that 5 rides are leaving the park on a whim. If it was JUST Kingda Ka leaving I could see it. But the rumor suggests that Green Lantern and 2 other flats are leaving too. Why would any park remove that much capacity for one low capacity coaster? Makes no sense. Green Lantern is a high capacity B&M, removing this, Kingda Ka, and 3 other flat rides will be a HUGE capacity blow for the park. So no, I do not think this is the end of Kingda Ka. I could see it getting some TLC within 10 years with Intamin doing a huge refurbishment. Would be cheaper than outright destroying this. These rumors just make no sense.
@@RayBcv1030 my opinion is that Ka was going to get the TT2 treatment and the plan was to expand it into the Green Lantern plot. And now I’ve seen multiple post that Six Flags made a deal to send Lantern back to Kentucky Kingdom. If that’s the case and the deal is final and the Ka plans are canceled then they might not have a choice. But may help the argument for Ka staying around. We will find out in a couple weeks/months.
@@COASTER_CHASER_1 I have a STRONG feeling the Kentucky Kingdom rumors are bogus and were made as a troll post. Green Lantern is 27 years old this year. It would not survive another relocation without major tlc done to the attraction.
Thats if Intamin wanna keep doing the maintance and doing the replacement parts. They may have other plans since they lost the bid on TT2 and if they ran out of stock early there might not be any choice. Its not always the parks that decide things and you can't just swap parts from other manufacters or produce them yourself they have to be certified. Doesn't even have to be unwillingness from Intamin you do need to have the production capacity and that can be taken up by new projects. Not saying this is happening but its just one scenario.
The total area Fury 325 uses is about 333,000 square feet. The total area of the 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.
Also apparently Kentucky Kingdom wants Green Lantern back. They want a relocated standup? It’s so weird. I get people have good memories of it as Chang but it’s rough now.
@@wrestlingandamusementparkl7789 Or B&M could do what they did to Nemesis at Alton Towers and replace all the Track but the Lift Hill and final Brake Run.
I am very grateful for my one ride i got when i went. It was closed for most of the day except the morning, so i got one back row ride and it was legendary.
Six Flags Magic Mountain is my home park. From some sources , I’ve heard Superman is pretty much done. One of the motors blew up and started a small fire on the hillside earlier this year and ever since then it’s hardly ever ran.
Damn! I hope if they do remove Superman they just remove the coaster and leave the drop tower like Australia did with its record breaking coaster/drop tower combo ride Superman clone.
From a business and executive standpoint, it would make zero sense to remove Ka and Zumanjaro: the ride is a landmark of the park and a good amount of ticket sales are generated from people wanting to ride the tallest in the world and fastest in North America, even after almost 20 years. It wouldn't make sense for Cedar Fair executives to close it after TT2 closed for most of this season. I think that this rumor is just a popular talking point amongst the coaster community after that fake blog post went around
You're thinking with emotions and not logic. They can always remove it and replace it with a bran new gp monster coaster that the gp will eat up and will make them more money in the long run than KA ever did. Im sure this decision is also based on the million dollars a year in maintenance costs and the fact that parts for this coaster literally have to be manufactured and cannot be ordered easily leading to lengthy downtimes. Im sure the cost to manufacture these parts when it breaks down are very expensive and cost the parks management alot of money.
1 million dollars a year is not expensive for the amount of draw it brings in. Replacing it with an equivalent attraction would cost somewhere near 40 million dollars at a minimum. It also has never been anywhere close to as problematic as Top Thrill was. It more than pays for itself each year with the guests it attracts.
If Ka really does get removed, I will probably never go back to Great Adventure, because there are so many other parks I've never been to that I'd rather try, and Ka was the main reason I liked going to Great Adventure.
They get another great coaster there then also wouldn't suprise me if intamin did do a rebuild with lsm lauching and some extra track considering green lantarn is moving/closing to.
If they Top Thrill 2 it, I will go there but if they remove it I don't care if they add a Falcons flight esque ride in it's place I will not prioritize going
We went to Great Adventure this past summer. Our first trip there. My daughter (age 9) was tall enough to ride Kingda Ka, but she wanted to work her way up to the ride because it is so tall. We rode all the other rides we could, and then there was a thunderstorm. Kingda Ka got struck by lightning during the thunderstorm, and did not reopen the rest of the day and we did not get to ride it. I hope it is not closing for good.
I can’t see SF Great Adventure do well without Kingda Ka for the GP. I don’t know how they would continue to be a top tier park without a string of GP coming in. Thoughts?
I stated it on el toro Ryan, but bears repeating, cedar fair renovated xcelerators launch and it’s working great now. It’s a whole different scale I know, but cedar fair does not make the decision on hydraulic launches always. It leads us to unpredictability on its future, but I think it means it’s not certain doom
Great adventure can’t go without drama for 5 MINUTES. First it was waiting another year for JD because of covid. Then you had the toro accident those two years. After that it was the 50th chaos and now this. Who has it worse? No one. And no I don’t want to hear about Michigan’s adventure or any other smaller park because you had no expectations to begin with so you weren’t let down
if thats correct then yup very unlikely not sure if they rebuild that train for LSM launches cause something id whispering in my ear that they have plans for that plot of land where Ka and greenlantarn are standing.
You're thinking with emotions and not logic. They can always remove it and replace it with a bran new gp monster coaster that the gp will eat up and will make them more money in the long run than KA ever did. Im sure this decision is also based on the million dollars a year in maintenance costs and the fact that parts for this coaster literally have to be manufactured and cannot be ordered easily leading to lengthy downtimes. Im sure the cost to manufacture these parts when it breaks down are very expensive and cost the parks management alot of money.
We were at Magic Mountain on Saturday and Superman was.... of course.... down. It's not operational about 75% of the time we go out there so it would not surprise me at all that Superman's days were also numbered. Thanks for the update.
I made sure to get my daughter on Kingda Ka this year. We only got 6 rides, the days we were there the line wasnt more the 5 minutes and maybe 15 for front seat. This was before all the rumors, I just didnt see this surviving with Cedar Fair at the helm. I wish I would have marathoned it but it was the first time she was tall enough to ride everything.. I might have ridden it 30 times in total versus 200+ of Top Thrill, but I am have ridden it enough to remember every second of the ride. I will miss it for certain, but 340-360ft 100mph giga will make me get over it quickly. With all the amazing parks in that region, if they dont put something amazing in it will definitely neuter that park
First one!!! I really hope Kingda Ka doesn’t close… I just went to great adventure and Kingda Ka was one of the only reason I went here other than el toro
Literally the only problem with ka is the unreliable launch they literally could just retrack the launch section to fit an LSM launch and even add a spike problem solved. Also yes An LSM might a take a little while to get up to speed the launch can still be programmed to reach the original speed and that is where the spike comes in to play a swing launch to be exact and maybe go to intamin for for the remodel I’m pretty sure they still have the blueprints for this ride model and I think it would help tremendously another thing they probably can do a way better job then zamperla and create something that’s fun thrilling and reliable
They are NOT going to do this due to the nightmare there currently dealing with refurbing TT2 ! We need to not think about this with emotions clouding our thinking.
This ride is my n°1 bucket list for 15+ years but i was too young to travel and now i don't have enough time and money to travel from Europe to Six Flags GA... I PRAY for Kingda Ka revival !😭 I want to experience it at least ONCE in my life !
I've only ever heard rumors and have yet to see any hard evidence for Kingda Ka getting removed. Either there's information I have overlooked or folks are REALLY jumping to conclusions.
i remember going to movie world in aus about 5 years ago and then going to six flags magic mountain in september. ive been literally obsessed with wanting to ride kingda ka and to see that its gonna go im actually in tears
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.
I think someone let this slip to get the rumor of it closing out to cyber world for the enthusiasts who want their last rides. Like BBW it’s better to end a coasters run at a good point. It was a record breaker 20 years ago and should be forever remembered that way!
This summer, I had a resurgence in my love for rollercoasters and I actually managed to convince my family to go out to Great Adventure so I could ride Kingda Ka. As a kid, this ride was by far my favourite because it was always #1 on those lists and I would talk about it all the time, and finally riding it after all these years was magical. Sad to see it go, but I'll be content knowing that I atleast got to experience it in my life, something I never thought I'd ever do.
This news makes me even more sad as a french enthusiast that had one opportunity to ride kingda ka when I visited New York this June and it was closed for the day I went… like I will most likely never experience it and that sucks so much
Yep, the sign is gone again. Why even bother with Zumanjaro (which has had its own share of problems) if the plan is to be done with its main support structure (Ka).
Zumanjaro is on the map, lol. The sign was removed for a 2nd time because its queue station is being used as a second entrance for Fright Fest Extreme.
@@danamarie2970 that may be true but this isn’t the first time Zumanjaro has been closed more than it’s open for a season. The ride is problematic, which gives credence to the rumors of why new corporate wants remove these money pit attractions. I LOVE both rides but I can definitely see the logic in removing them. Everyone is being emotional and not using their brains. I hope I’m wrong, the rumors are wrong but I’m worried this is indeed going to happen.
I’m made the trip down to SFGA last year just because I was worried it could close at any point without notice just like Top Thrill did. Man am I ever happy I did that, as well as getting to Cedar Point for opening week last year.
If LSMs can launch 80,000 pound jests from aircraft carriers at 150mph, they can be used to launch KK in the same amount of space. Trains may need shortened, perhaps stators placed on the pull up track.. but it can be done - just at what cost?
There is no way this would happen. In order for the park to remove this, they must replace it with something which they cant afford at the moment because they just got a new coaster coming.
Long comment ahead: Sorry in advance. Hopefully CS sees this, I did hear of this first from ElToroRyan Despite being only rumors, this is absolutely crushing especially for someone like me who lives no more than 30 min away from the park. This was the ride that ended the coaster wars back in the 2000s. If this ride goes, the coaster community will mourn for a very long time. If they get rid of it, I’ll have major PTSD and keep on having that vision it’s still there. In the case of the removal, will its replacement fill the shoes of the King? Hell no. But, I know that the Six Flags OGs (not those CF dorks) will do something spectacular. I do like the giga idea that will complement the skyline and also not take away from Nitro’s presence on the opposite side of the park. What I think they should do is a modified launched wing coaster from B&M. Market it as the tallest/fastest/etc and this will fill two major gaps in their lineup (the launch coaster as well as a new/original design with the wing). Think like a really beefed up Thunderbird. AND rumors are spreading that Green Lantern might go as well so there’s potentially unlimited space to come up with something incredible. Thank you CS for your thoughts
This is truly the end of an era. Like watching Drew Brees, Payton Manning and Tom Brady retire. We all knew it was coming, just hate to see it come to an end. Kingda Ka and Top Thrill sparked so much new excitement for roller coasters. Enthusiasts have to feel like they are losing something special with this news. And seeing TT2 struggle right now shows just how great the mid 2000s were for this industry. It’s a shame we’ll never get that back.
it's kind of insane to think that if this is happening this year, that'll mean that there are only two coasters left in the world that reach 100 mph. Dragster, Ka, Do Dodonpa and Formula Rossa will all either be closed permanently or indefinitely, and the only ones left will be Superman and Red Force. Sad times...
I mentioned this on el toro Ryan’s video. I have a feeling it’s closing “as we know it”. Green lantern gets removed. They go to Intamin for this refit like they where going to do with Intamin at first before that idea fell apart and they extend KK into where Green lantern is
should be plenty of room to do something with LSM lauchers if they take the plot from GL and you could make it into a real coaster rather then just a lauchdemon (he i like Ka but other then the launch and one drop it doesn't do anything).
The trend I have seen is that many parks are doing away with large thrill attractions and are shifting to family-friendly experiences. Kingda Ka was built right towards the end of the coaster wars in the mid-2000s, and parks just have different priorities now than they did back then. I hope it stays at least one more season, but especially now with the new management, they could be ready to just do away with the coaster sooner rather than later.
I am honestly doubtful of it’s closure like executive likely know how special ka really is and with a recession looming for 2025 it’s unlikely they would tear it down and if they did they better be giving the golden kingdom an overhaul with some over the top velocicoaster level intamin launch coaster because the removal of ka would tear a huge gap in the lineup and building a huge coaster of tearing down one during a recession isn’t the greatest idea
If Kingda Ka closes, they should go back to Intamin and get a multi-launch coaster with airtime and inversions, similar to Velocicoaster. High capacity, great ride, and they can even add in a top-hat to pay homage to what was once there.
It will suck to lose it BUT if they build something even better and longer it can be worth it. Its rumored that they are also getting rid of green lantern. Thats a HUGE piece of land if they do so
Listen man I get it. Maintenance, cost, all that. If Six Flags announces that the ride is closing and I go and ride it and at the end of the day look back at the coaster knowing I’m not gonna be able to feel that 0-128mph launch over a massive top hat ever again, I’m not shedding a tear. I’m BAWLING!! This is my home park. The Chiller made me sad. I actually shed a tear when Scream Machine closed cuz it was iconic to my roller coaster journey. Ka…nah man not Ka. At the very least give it a swing launch (by Intamin please) and extend the layout as a typical giga. But that fantasy talk smh. We just gonna have to wait and see. 😢
People saying this is a mistake removing this - but there are good reasons for its removal, there’s no point keeping it if it’s bleeding money and can’t be easily fixed. Sooner or later they have to rip the band aid off, so let’s just hope they plan a heck of a replacement that equally draws people to want to travel to visit the park. It’s sad that these hydraulic launch coasters seem like they’re on the way out, but it looks inevitable unfortunately :(
I only visited Great Adventure once back in 2005 when Kingda Ka was new - and it was closed due to an incident with damaged LSMs just a few days prior to my visit.
since Formula Rossa has brakes just after the launch, it's probably best to just get LSMs, put them all the way down the launch track and starting up the first hill and the speed will be the same for the rest of the layout. Maybe they'll even get more intense LSMs by now. To my knowledge, Taron still has the world's most intense LSM launch and that was built almost ten years ago. They will not have the record anymore, but since Falcon's Flight will take that anyways, maybe they can make it work as a good launch coaster?
I have never done Kingda Ka. I know it’s a bucket list ride for me, and I’m not the best with going headstrong for extremely high rides but, if this is the outcome, hopefully I get to at least experience this ride once. At least once. Cause this really is a cool ride. Even just to watch it go it’s cool.
I think the one thing you guys didn’t talk about is rider safety and the risk of the cable launch system breaking. With the new management group primarily coming from the Cedar Fair side, IMO they don’t want a repeat of TTD. I’m sure it took years to concept, develop, and deliver TT2. I’d suspect CF was working on replacement options for several years to eliminate the risk of another cable accident. Guest safety is paramount and maintenance/operating cost is important (and predictable) too, but accidents are reputation and a greater unexpected cost. Kingda Ka has duel stations, so a huge swing launch is a lot more complicated, and definitely at this point not reliable. The new group needs time to weigh the cost and risks of another operating season, and send manufacturers into overdrive of a huge new project
I wish there was a way to preserve these powerful launched Coasters. I'm surprised that in 2024 engineers haven't figured out how to: A. Make the hydraulic launch reliable as LSMs B. Make LSMs as powerful as hydraulic launches. LSMs haven't been pushed anywhere near their limits yet. Which is the most possible and Station Wait did a video on this. C. Make a new launch system thats as powerful as the hydraulic and as reliable as the LSM
Honestly...if removing this and not throwing tons of money into it benefits the park's current dystopian mess of existence, then whatever. The state laws have left the crappy trains on it unlike the majority of others. It breaks down constantly, and runs at poor capacity. It was rushed and should've never been built when it was in the first place. Never mind the amount of money dumped into the drop tower that should have a safari buss to take you down to it. Can they possibly keep the backdrop and redirect the drop tower's entrance to be over by El Toro?
you know I kinda get tired of all these parks building coasters to beat various world records...the tallest, the fastest, the fastest launch in the shortest amount of time, the longest, the most inversions (don't get me started on inversions!!). at the end of the day, none of these things matters if the ride is not a good layout and a fun, repeatable experience. some coasters these days are a one and done. ride it once, but it would not be marathonable (i think i just created a new word!!). so give me a good coaster that is just plain fun and I will be totally happy. i think the current theme park trend in building family-friendly coasters is a good one. I mean they are definitely plenty of fun but they don't rip your head off!! as an example I went to Dollywood this year for the first time and Big Bear Mountain was my favorite coaster. And it was the only coaster I rode more than once.
I disagree with this. The launch on Ka is unbelievable and some rides you go over the top hat with speed, others you barely make it over, and in rare situations you get to experience the legendary rollback!
This better be a rumor that doesn't happen because I was planning a trip to Philadelphia next summer to visit the amusement parks in the area, including this one. If this coaster goes away, the whole trip is scrapped because then I'll have to wait for them to replace it with something that we all know won't be as good.
King da Ka and Top Thrill Loser are def a blueprint for newer and greatest rides for the future though… these parks better get busy quick, Europe is already miles ahead in terms of innovation and thrill level… thank for what you do and bringing us great content.
As a European tourist visiting New York City this summer, I only found out about Six Flags Great Adventure after looking up where the massive Kingda Ka coaster was located. My girlfriend and I were lucky enough to ride it twice, and honestly, we probably wouldn’t have gone to the park if it weren’t for Kingda Ka. We didn’t even know about rides like El Toro, Jersey Devil, or Nitro until just a few days before our visit. Kingda Ka is without a doubt the park’s signature attraction and an engineering marvel-you feel that the moment you enter the park. Six Flags should really invest more in advertising, especially in major cities like New York and Philadelphia, instead of just building new roller coasters. We didn’t see any promotion for the park in either city! Kingda Ka was the only reason we visited, and I’m sure we’re not the only ones who plan a trip because of it. Instead of constantly adding new coasters, the park should focus on improving its overall appearance and branding. Some parts feel like they haven’t been updated since the early 2000s, and with a little attention, the whole experience could be significantly enhanced. And honestly, the idea of removing Kingda Ka seems ridiculous-it’s the ride that draws people in! Why take away the very attraction that gets so many visitors through the gates?
This summer we got to ride Kingda Ka within an hour of park opening, and when we got right back in line it went down. What was funny we could hear one ride operator say “Did I win? I said an hour…” so they were casually betting on how long it would run each day 😂. It was closed the rest of the day.
at this point I don't think corporate cares about that. Guests do, but they might not. Although, it's true that parks normally don't like to lose multiple attractions within the same time frame but CF seems to be ruthless. Doesn't anyone else think it's highly coincidental that their first major order of business after merging with SF is to close the coaster they've been bitter about for 20 years? don't tell me that' s not part of the sudden decision. it most certainly is.
What's very interesting is that S&S built Maxx force fairly recently. The air powered and hydraulic launches are extremely similar mainly only changing the fluid that provides the energy. Wonder if we will see more air powered launches or if they will die out as well like Do-Dodonpa.
Great Adventure is my home park as well, and the role that this coaster has played in my coaster journey can't be overstated. And I'm about as GP as it gets for someone who follows a coaster channel!
What about turning the tophat into a lift hill and drop? Use LSMs to propel the train on a vertical launch up the existing tophat, similar to Wicked. Then have the train travel down the current drop, over the speed hill, and into a fast paced, giga style layout that extends into the current Green Lantern(remove) site. That keeps the height and speed and makes it a ride people will continue to travel far to ride. Just a random idea
If they were somehow gonna add a full layout (they wont) they should at least keep the launch speed and just let intamin do a swing launch with a reverse spike. Intamin knows coasters, intamin knows speed, intamin knows spikes, intamin knows wheels. Zampera didn't, and zamperla doesnt.
If Kingda Ka does close it makes the future for the other Hydraulic Launches look even more uncertain. Rides like Xcelerator at Knotts for example are also getting quite old and could potentially be out soon as well. Whether it’s a Cedar Fair / Six Flags trend or a more worldwide one could also make the fate of Stealth at Thorpe Park uncertain too, which I believe may be the tallest, faster by top speed and fastest accelerating Intamin Accelerator Coaster left after Ka.
I really do hope they don’t do away with this entirely. All the points do make sense, but I really do think closing it without exploring another option would be worse than the backlash they’re experiencing with TT2. I’m starting to regret not going two weeks ago while I was up in New York.
What you possibly dont seem to get is they do not care what you think or any of us think. They will do what they want to do weather it makes sense to us or not. Im sure they have valid logical reasons to do what they are going to do. I dont expect them to tell the public ethier. Remember what happened when volcano the blast coaster closed
i’m also just going to mention that if they close ka then top thrill 2 will get its record back and they could open it next year as the worlds tallest coaster 🤷♂️ this might help boost cedar points image and we all know how much cedar fair loved cedar point
While I understand the situation from a business point of view, I hope this doesn’t happen at the end of this year just because riding Kingda Ka has been on my bucket list for years🙏🏻 But still experiencing Great Adventure for the first time hopefully next year will be great and there are so many other roller coasters I want to ride. We shall see and hope for the best🤞🏻
It will probably happen. We lost the wild mouse in 2 days. Ride closed in the September and stayed SBNO until December 27th when it was removed over night and cleared with no announcement. It’s very possible it might happen. Money at the moment is a serious concern for almost everyone and all businesses and I can imagine if it does go it’ll get a TT2 treatment or replaced with something completely differently unless intamin come in and fix it to be more cheap and reliable
6:58 Top Thrill 2 was supposedly being planned since 2019 with the accident just being a convenient (and perfectly understandable) excuse for them to not operate the original Dragster in 2022.
They re-painted the trains, the WHOLE structure needs and has needed a re-paint that has never happened. The trains being re-painted doesn’t negate plans being changed.
In nj, the roller coasters are inspected by train manufacturers. And for trains someone can’t edit a train they didn’t build. So they can’t redo ka because zamperla didn’t build it.
Let us make it clear that we won’t make videos about rumors that we don’t think have legitimacy to them (doesn’t guarantee they are true though of course) That’s why we didn’t jump on it the minute it became a hot topic. We try to always have integrity and choose being reliable sources over getting views! That being said, we will not disclose where information comes from, but trust that we wouldn’t be talking about this if it was solely based off of social media riff raff.
I believe you Taylor & Sarah
we know you guys don't make that kind of clickbaity content anyways but its always great to get update videos on the industry. Keep it up
Hope you guys didn’t think I was questioning your credibility, I just don’t personally believe they’re gonna get rid of it but I’m probably wrong lol🤷♂️
@@Scott-lv9uh don't think they were addressing your comment individually buddy 🤣
@@Scott-lv9uhnot directed at you! :) just the general vibe of the comment section wanting sources, etc
When you said in the next two weeks, my heart dropped. This is on my major bucket list to do. I’ve always had an attachment to the ride ever since I was in kindergarten watching the different povs of this, Formula Rossa, Top Thrill Dragster and just in general, I was constantly talking about Kingda Ka, a fitting name for a king of the industry. I am not alone in this I realize but this will be a huge blow to SFGA and to a bunch of thoosie’s souls
Same. I’ve rode this before tho. I’m going in a month again though. So I hope it’s open at least that long
I went to do Kingda Ka a long time ago, but I was scared off of it and never rode it, and now I might never have the chance to do it. I went to Cedar Point this summer to do Top Thrill 2, and it wasn’t open either. Will I be able to do one at some point…?
Of course. It will be a great loss to the world of the amusement world and will be missed if it soon closes its doors.❤
KINGda ka get it
If Great Adventure closes Kingda Ka, this park is no longer a destination park. It's such an iconic coaster, I'll be devastated if it closes :(
Exactly. It might as be Six Flags America with El Toro.
Being from the uk, It’d be moved near the bottom on the list of priorities of parks to visit
It was gonna happen within a couple of years or at least it will be. It either gets the TTD treatment or its gonna be torn down. They do need a very good replacement for it though so you might get something way better in return. Although i'm gonna miss the launch that might be the last really high accel one.
They would probably Need to build a huge new coaster, otherwise they might lose their popularity. El Toro would probably still motivate people to go to the Park, but Ka might be more interesting for general Park guests
@@flooo7045 not only does it need to be huge, but it needs to be one of a kind... I been seeing people say a B&M Giga would be a nice replace but I don't think I like that idea :(
Worst part of being a roller coaster fan is the limited time to experience certain attractions. Thankfully most of them stay open for a decent amount of time, but it can still hurt knowing you won't get to experience that ride. (I'm still bitter about chickening out of Dueling Dragons as a kid for that reason)
Removing Ka would make SFGA less attractive for visitors to their park, it's the super star of the park that is so iconic.
Just give Intamin a shot. It’s their speciality doing stuff like that. They’re building the coaster taking its record. Let them do the extended layout they proposed for TT2, they aren’t the same company they were years ago
Wishful thinking they are not going to do this its already off the table. Blame it on the nightmare refub of TT2.
That part!! I been saying this! Intamin is not who there were years ago!
They are making a BIIG mistake and they won’t come back from this without a revamp that’s the only way IMO
There needs to be SERIOUS push back if there’s any legitimacy to these rumors. There’s no way removing a ride as iconic as Ka was the best possible option especially when Intamin allegedly had a plan to retrofit Dragster.
I’m not looking forward to the future of Six Flags if the Cedar Fair legacy management continues to make drastic decisions such as this rumor.
Cedar Fair is also the doom of my nearest major Home Park California's Great America, so I say 🖕you Cedar Fair.
Agreed. This coaster is too iconic and historic to just rip away from us like that :(
In all honesty what will pushback do not a thing! In all reality the parks management dont care how angry or upset we get with this. They dont care what we think ethier unfortunately. There going to do what makes sense to them even if it does not make sense to us. Thats just the realty of this situation.
This has me worried about X2 and some other coasters at Magic Mountain a lot of MM collection is 20+ years old some 30+ years old
Closing Ka would be the worst mistake SFGA ever made in their 50 year history! People come from all over to ride this one of a kind record breaking coaster and if they close it preeminently attendance is gonna plummet and will cost a fortune to dismantle it. I understand it's expensive to maintain with the launch and everything but it's a big reason why people visit SFGA. If anything they should leave it up for one more year for the 20th anniversary and then do what Cedar Point did to Top Thrill (even though that hasn't worked out yet but hopefully they'll figure it out) and instead of hiring Zamperlla to fix Ka hire Intamin to fix it. I sure hope Ka stays otherwise SFGA will lose a customer (and a lot of others)! I'm glad I got to ride it a few weeks ago which might be (hopefully not) my last time.
and I don't think they realise that once a roller coaster is iconic enough, it doesn't matter if it is no longer the current record holder - enthusiasts and people in general will still come whenever they can to ride it. Most people don't have going to Saudi Arabia on their bucket list so this is still a great alternative to everyone in America pretty much. I don't know how they could top it to be honest, I think they'd have to at least continue with the same exact theme so that they don't lose the brand of 'kingda ka' when they lose the ride - but it won't be the same
@@all-caps3927 I agree and although Ka isn’t the world’s tallest and fastest roller coaster it’s still the tallest and fastest in America and the western hemisphere. SFGA is only about 2 1/2 hours from me so it’s a convenience for me to go and ride the tallest and fastest coaster in America so I would still ride even if it’s not the tallest and fastest in the world because it’s a lot harder for me to go to Saudi Arabia and I have no interest in visiting that country just to ride the world’s tallest and fastest roller coaster.
Yeah exactly. The park has a good lineup that makes them attract the general audience from all over the northeast. But Kingda Ka makes them attract general audiences from all over THE WORLD! It is by far the one Six Flags park that has the most foreign visitors of any in the chain, exactly because of Kingda Ka combined with the park's proximity to New York City.
To the general public across the world, Kingda Ka is the park's icon, the one reason to go there. Without it, the park is just gonna be left in the dust. A relative nobody in the industry and gonna lose out on a vast amount of tourist attendance. It's a financial disaster in the making.
@@drdewott9154 Which is why they gotta find a way to retrofit that entire hydraulic launch.
@@zacharyyamashita8554 They WONT be retrofitting anything! They are not going to refurb it ethier due to the nightmare of a refurb with TT2 that they are experiencing. I see alot of people commenting here thinking with there emotions first and not using logical thinking. In all reality the parks management dont care what we think. There going to go ahead and do what they want to do.
I know I usually make sarcastic comments but not today. I know the launch is expensive. I get it. But we want the tower to STAY. I know TT2 is a train wreck right now but at least wait to see how that pans out or work with intamin. They’re a very different company then they were 20 years ago. Cedar Fair wants to tear the whole thing down and here’s their reasons: 1. Like I just mentioned the price of the launch. 2. TT2 not working out. 3. Ka took the record from them all these years ago and I’m sure there’s still resentment there. TT2 is there baby. They don’t care about Ka. It’s just the icing on the cake. I also think they want to make there own big statement with great adventure.
No way they replace that with an LSM launch, anything but that please.
Cedar trying to get rid of Ka because of taking the record is silly. The ride is one of their assets now. If the ride stays or goes, it's business.
@@bearclaw5115 I never said that was the Sole reason why. Probably is a much smaller factor. However if you don’t think there is nothing there then you’re just wrong. Companies don’t forget about those things.
@@SixFlagsfan-bt7uwthey instantly do when they merge together and financially depend on each other to succeed. This isnt a playground.
@@chrisbruchak4519 Sure buddy
Kingda Ka was one of the roller coasters that got me into roller coasters over 15 years ago. I could not stop talking about this ride when I was 6 years old. However, being from Pittsburgh, there was never a good excuse to go out and ride it. It's really sad and crushing to think I might never get the chance to ride it.
There’s still a few weekends left, we highly encourage you to go ride it as soon as you can!
Same here, except for Oklahoma. I’m so out of the way I’ve missed so many bucket list rides
Save up some money bro and go ride it, I’m from Cali and I did the journey and I’m so happy I can say I have ridden it
Another Pittsburgher !
Ka had the same effect on me, and it was total luck that my family was in the area back in 2019 so i could go on it. It was raining, so it nearly didn't happen
the launch is absolutely brutal. there's so many g forces and the wind buffets your head against the headrest like there's no tomorrow. I thought i was about to pass out (i love Fast Things, so that's a big positive (minus the discomfort of banging my head)). as soon as you start to climb up, the acceleration letting up and realizing you're actually on Ka sinks in and it's so surreal. The view from the top is really cool, and even on rides that don't roll back, it feels like it's gonna. The drop down feels so much longer than the ride up, and it feels as tall as it is. Even the final hill feels massive (shocker, the big hill feels big). It's such an experience, and I really hope you can get it.
Legendary Gabby clip must have a chance to be recreated.
Imagine a Six Flags Park just casually decides to remove the worlds tallest and 2nd fastest roller coaster in such a short notice.
Practically Cedar Fair 😭😭
Cedar Fair's unfortunately done that before. This whole thing reminds me of Volcano's closure, randomly closing the parks most iconic/fan favorite rollercoaster with next to no notice.
@@namevone That wasn't a sudden decision.
@@gianfeliciano9816 yeah it wasn't a sudden decision, but there was still next to no notice to fans.
tallest and fastest formula rossa has been sbno for months
No, I hope this isn’t true ! Being a UK coaster enthusiast it’s been my number one bucket list ride. Ever since I watched a documentary series of the construction of the ride as a child. I’ve had to put off trips to the States numerous times, every time thinking ‘it’s alright, I’ll get to ride year instead’. If I never get to ride this I’ll be upset !
Just goes to show that if there’s something you really want to experience in life it’s always best to get it done asap because nothing lasts forever.
Yep same, if the higher ups are decent people they will announce the last 6 months or year to ride so we can get over there
Had that problem with TTD so i went over the next year to do Ka this was so predictable although i thought it would last for at least one more seizone.
Cedar Fair sabotaging Six Flags & removing their best rides is CRAZY WORK.
I knew this would happen
This has me scared about X2 I know it’s a maintenance nightmare
@@themeparklunatic1996 Them touching X2 would be a nightmare 😢
I hope that if they announce its closure, they announce that next year will be its final season. My son is 8 and finally grew tall enough to ride all the big roller coaster. This is his biggest bucket list coaster and he'll be very upset to see it go before he gets a chance to ride it
Yeah same I might use my savings on a trip there next year
Unless we get an actual confirmation I won’t believe it
Same
@@jarretstroud1842Same x2
Same
No literally ! I’m getting so mad fr
Same.
We got kingda ka closing before GTA6
I am so glad I convinced my Dad to take me to great adventure this summer, I got 4 rides then. It was my third time being at the park, and my second time riding Ka. It will be sorely missed. It is easily the best roller coaster I've ever ridden.
I just went for the first time this summer and also got 4 rides on it. I really hope they don’t close it since it was my first time at great adventure and I don’t want my first time in Kingda ka to be my last.
If it does get “zamped“ it shouldn’t be as bad as TT2 as they would’ve learnt from TT2 would love to see one or 2 more elements tho
It sure as hell would be a lot better than tearing out the entire thing.
@@zacharyyamashita8554right, or they give Intamin a chance
We flew from Seattle in June just to ride Kingda Ka (and El Toro). So glad we were able to do several rides on it when we went! Its the first coaster in years that I was actually nervous to ride.
Same! I flew last june from the Netherlands to experience this ride (and 200+ other coasters during that trip)! Ka made an impression. What a ride. Not the best one, but a one of a kind experience. To everyone: just get rides on this thing (and all hydraulic launch coasters, like Storm runner and Xcellerator).
I don't buy the rumors for 2 reasons
1) First, a lot of people forget that Kingda Ka is a huge ride. So removing it would be expensive and difficult.
A lot of the ride's supports and footers are literally dug 100+ ft underground, which would literally be impossible to remove. Also due to its size, it would need to be removed piece by piece. It can't just be blown up like Wicked Twister, it would risk damaging other attractions in the park. Even if it was easy, it would be EXPENSIVE to remove this ride.
2) I don't buy that 5 rides are leaving the park on a whim. If it was JUST Kingda Ka leaving I could see it. But the rumor suggests that Green Lantern and 2 other flats are leaving too. Why would any park remove that much capacity for one low capacity coaster? Makes no sense. Green Lantern is a high capacity B&M, removing this, Kingda Ka, and 3 other flat rides will be a HUGE capacity blow for the park.
So no, I do not think this is the end of Kingda Ka. I could see it getting some TLC within 10 years with Intamin doing a huge refurbishment. Would be cheaper than outright destroying this. These rumors just make no sense.
Great points
@@RayBcv1030 my opinion is that Ka was going to get the TT2 treatment and the plan was to expand it into the Green Lantern plot. And now I’ve seen multiple post that Six Flags made a deal to send Lantern back to Kentucky Kingdom. If that’s the case and the deal is final and the Ka plans are canceled then they might not have a choice. But may help the argument for Ka staying around. We will find out in a couple weeks/months.
@@COASTER_CHASER_1 I have a STRONG feeling the Kentucky Kingdom rumors are bogus and were made as a troll post.
Green Lantern is 27 years old this year. It would not survive another relocation without major tlc done to the attraction.
Thats if Intamin wanna keep doing the maintance and doing the replacement parts. They may have other plans since they lost the bid on TT2 and if they ran out of stock early there might not be any choice. Its not always the parks that decide things and you can't just swap parts from other manufacters or produce them yourself they have to be certified. Doesn't even have to be unwillingness from Intamin you do need to have the production capacity and that can be taken up by new projects.
Not saying this is happening but its just one scenario.
@@COASTER_CHASER_1you need to wake up lol this is not true AT ALL 😹
The total area Fury 325 uses is about 333,000 square feet.
The total area of the 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.
Worlds first and only lift hill strata would be absolutely nuts
ok lift hill strata would be like the only way I would accept this ngl
If they take down Green Lantern with Kingda Ka but replace it with a giga, it'd be worth it in my opinion.
@@andrewqi6695 word
I wouldn't be angry if there was an RMC T-rex in this plot 👀
Also apparently Kentucky Kingdom wants Green Lantern back. They want a relocated standup? It’s so weird. I get people have good memories of it as Chang but it’s rough now.
That would be interesting
There’s no shot that that is true
Locals have always missed Chang and wanted it back. Doesn’t mean it’ll happen, but it’s a nostalgia thing.
Kentucky kingdom is my home park. But it was a fan favorite for the park. I don’t know if they want a 20 plus year old ride back
@@wrestlingandamusementparkl7789 Or B&M could do what they did to Nemesis at Alton Towers and replace all the Track but the Lift Hill and final Brake Run.
I am very grateful for my one ride i got when i went. It was closed for most of the day except the morning, so i got one back row ride and it was legendary.
Six Flags Magic Mountain is my home park. From some sources , I’ve heard Superman is pretty much done. One of the motors blew up and started a small fire on the hillside earlier this year and ever since then it’s hardly ever ran.
oof, not good
Damn! I hope if they do remove Superman they just remove the coaster and leave the drop tower like Australia did with its record breaking coaster/drop tower combo ride Superman clone.
It actually reopened from that. But it's on a very limited schedule.
No way it makes it to 2030
@@RayBcv1030 it did for about 2 weeks and that was it. It’s been closed for at least 2 straight months if not longer.
Lucky you have Tatsu.
From a business and executive standpoint, it would make zero sense to remove Ka and Zumanjaro: the ride is a landmark of the park and a good amount of ticket sales are generated from people wanting to ride the tallest in the world and fastest in North America, even after almost 20 years. It wouldn't make sense for Cedar Fair executives to close it after TT2 closed for most of this season. I think that this rumor is just a popular talking point amongst the coaster community after that fake blog post went around
EXACTLY. That's what I'm hoping anyway.
You're thinking with emotions and not logic. They can always remove it and replace it with a bran new gp monster coaster that the gp will eat up and will make them more money in the long run than KA ever did. Im sure this decision is also based on the million dollars a year in maintenance costs and the fact that parts for this coaster literally have to be manufactured and cannot be ordered easily leading to lengthy downtimes. Im sure the cost to manufacture these parts when it breaks down are very expensive and cost the parks management alot of money.
1 million dollars a year is not expensive for the amount of draw it brings in. Replacing it with an equivalent attraction would cost somewhere near 40 million dollars at a minimum. It also has never been anywhere close to as problematic as Top Thrill was. It more than pays for itself each year with the guests it attracts.
We agree- but we also don’t see all the financial details. Maybe it’s more than we realize.
Also that doesn't include the cost of demolishing Ka
If Ka really does get removed, I will probably never go back to Great Adventure, because there are so many other parks I've never been to that I'd rather try, and Ka was the main reason I liked going to Great Adventure.
They get another great coaster there then also wouldn't suprise me if intamin did do a rebuild with lsm lauching and some extra track considering green lantarn is moving/closing to.
If they Top Thrill 2 it, I will go there but if they remove it I don't care if they add a Falcons flight esque ride in it's place I will not prioritize going
We went to Great Adventure this past summer. Our first trip there. My daughter (age 9) was tall enough to ride Kingda Ka, but she wanted to work her way up to the ride because it is so tall. We rode all the other rides we could, and then there was a thunderstorm. Kingda Ka got struck by lightning during the thunderstorm, and did not reopen the rest of the day and we did not get to ride it. I hope it is not closing for good.
I can’t see SF Great Adventure do well without Kingda Ka for the GP. I don’t know how they would continue to be a top tier park without a string of GP coming in. Thoughts?
The Great American Scream Machine saved SFGAdv from permanent closure; removing Kingda Ka will destroy it.
I stated it on el toro Ryan, but bears repeating, cedar fair renovated xcelerators launch and it’s working great now. It’s a whole different scale I know, but cedar fair does not make the decision on hydraulic launches always. It leads us to unpredictability on its future, but I think it means it’s not certain doom
Wait... if KA closes, would Hershey be the only park on the east coast with a hydraulic launch?!?!?!
Great adventure can’t go without drama for 5 MINUTES. First it was waiting another year for JD because of covid. Then you had the toro accident those two years. After that it was the 50th chaos and now this. Who has it worse? No one. And no I don’t want to hear about Michigan’s adventure or any other smaller park because you had no expectations to begin with so you weren’t let down
GAdv’s management is so incompetent
Magic Mountain had the worst 50th a free button and a balloon decoration on the gate absolutely no shirt or merchandise to commemorate the 50th
If there's anything that would lead me to believe that it won't close, it's that they just got another train for it this year
Big if true imo
if thats correct then yup very unlikely not sure if they rebuild that train for LSM launches cause something id whispering in my ear that they have plans for that plot of land where Ka and greenlantarn are standing.
You're thinking with emotions and not logic. They can always remove it and replace it with a bran new gp monster coaster that the gp will eat up and will make them more money in the long run than KA ever did. Im sure this decision is also based on the million dollars a year in maintenance costs and the fact that parts for this coaster literally have to be manufactured and cannot be ordered easily leading to lengthy downtimes. Im sure the cost to manufacture these parts when it breaks down are very expensive and cost the parks management alot of money.
We were at Magic Mountain on Saturday and Superman was.... of course.... down. It's not operational about 75% of the time we go out there so it would not surprise me at all that Superman's days were also numbered. Thanks for the update.
I made sure to get my daughter on Kingda Ka this year. We only got 6 rides, the days we were there the line wasnt more the 5 minutes and maybe 15 for front seat. This was before all the rumors, I just didnt see this surviving with Cedar Fair at the helm. I wish I would have marathoned it but it was the first time she was tall enough to ride everything.. I might have ridden it 30 times in total versus 200+ of Top Thrill, but I am have ridden it enough to remember every second of the ride. I will miss it for certain, but 340-360ft 100mph giga will make me get over it quickly. With all the amazing parks in that region, if they dont put something amazing in it will definitely neuter that park
thats really cool. i only got to go on on it once but it was worth it.
It gets the top thrill 2 treatment and gets called swing da ka
First one!!! I really hope Kingda Ka doesn’t close… I just went to great adventure and Kingda Ka was one of the only reason I went here other than el toro
This is not The Chiller... keep this darn ride open!
Literally the only problem with ka is the unreliable launch they literally could just retrack the launch section to fit an LSM launch and even add a spike problem solved. Also yes An LSM might a take a little while to get up to speed the launch can still be programmed to reach the original speed and that is where the spike comes in to play a swing launch to be exact and maybe go to intamin for for the remodel I’m pretty sure they still have the blueprints for this ride model and I think it would help tremendously another thing they probably can do a way better job then zamperla and create something that’s fun thrilling and reliable
They are NOT going to do this due to the nightmare there currently dealing with refurbing TT2 ! We need to not think about this with emotions clouding our thinking.
This ride is my n°1 bucket list for 15+ years but i was too young to travel and now i don't have enough time and money to travel from Europe to Six Flags GA... I PRAY for Kingda Ka revival !😭 I want to experience it at least ONCE in my life !
I travelled to SFGA from New Zealand this year to ride it, so it definitely pulls international visitors from far away. Unbelievable ride.
Reason why they are called “rumors” and not facts. Good video but this is gonna be one of those “I’ll believe it when I see it” moments
I’ve been to Great Adventure twice and it was closed both times, if it closes I will actually lose my mind 😭😭😭
I've only ever heard rumors and have yet to see any hard evidence for Kingda Ka getting removed. Either there's information I have overlooked or folks are REALLY jumping to conclusions.
i remember going to movie world in aus about 5 years ago and then going to six flags magic mountain in september. ive been literally obsessed with wanting to ride kingda ka and to see that its gonna go im actually in tears
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.
why don’t they at least keep the tower and go with Intamin and be smart instead of a basically family coaster co.
I think someone let this slip to get the rumor of it closing out to cyber world for the enthusiasts who want their last rides. Like BBW it’s better to end a coasters run at a good point. It was a record breaker 20 years ago and should be forever remembered that way!
This summer, I had a resurgence in my love for rollercoasters and I actually managed to convince my family to go out to Great Adventure so I could ride Kingda Ka. As a kid, this ride was by far my favourite because it was always #1 on those lists and I would talk about it all the time, and finally riding it after all these years was magical. Sad to see it go, but I'll be content knowing that I atleast got to experience it in my life, something I never thought I'd ever do.
This news makes me even more sad as a french enthusiast that had one opportunity to ride kingda ka when I visited New York this June and it was closed for the day I went… like I will most likely never experience it and that sucks so much
There have been signs. If you notice, Zumanjaro isn’t included in this year’s park map. Not to mention it’s been closed the majority of this season.
Hmm
Yep, the sign is gone again. Why even bother with Zumanjaro (which has had its own share of problems) if the plan is to be done with its main support structure (Ka).
Zumanjaro is on the map, lol. The sign was removed for a 2nd time because its queue station is being used as a second entrance for Fright Fest Extreme.
@@danamarie2970 that may be true but this isn’t the first time Zumanjaro has been closed more than it’s open for a season. The ride is problematic, which gives credence to the rumors of why new corporate wants remove these money pit attractions. I LOVE both rides but I can definitely see the logic in removing them.
Everyone is being emotional and not using their brains. I hope I’m wrong, the rumors are wrong but I’m worried this is indeed going to happen.
I dont understand why zumanjaro has such issues.
I’m made the trip down to SFGA last year just because I was worried it could close at any point without notice just like Top Thrill did.
Man am I ever happy I did that, as well as getting to Cedar Point for opening week last year.
If LSMs can launch 80,000 pound jests from aircraft carriers at 150mph, they can be used to launch KK in the same amount of space. Trains may need shortened, perhaps stators placed on the pull up track.. but it can be done - just at what cost?
I feel like you guys are like the sportscasters of theme parks and amusement parks everywhere.😊😊😊
There is no way this would happen. In order for the park to remove this, they must replace it with something which they cant afford at the moment because they just got a new coaster coming.
Long comment ahead: Sorry in advance. Hopefully CS sees this, I did hear of this first from ElToroRyan
Despite being only rumors, this is absolutely crushing especially for someone like me who lives no more than 30 min away from the park. This was the ride that ended the coaster wars back in the 2000s. If this ride goes, the coaster community will mourn for a very long time. If they get rid of it, I’ll have major PTSD and keep on having that vision it’s still there.
In the case of the removal, will its replacement fill the shoes of the King? Hell no. But, I know that the Six Flags OGs (not those CF dorks) will do something spectacular. I do like the giga idea that will complement the skyline and also not take away from Nitro’s presence on the opposite side of the park. What I think they should do is a modified launched wing coaster from B&M. Market it as the tallest/fastest/etc and this will fill two major gaps in their lineup (the launch coaster as well as a new/original design with the wing). Think like a really beefed up Thunderbird. AND rumors are spreading that Green Lantern might go as well so there’s potentially unlimited space to come up with something incredible.
Thank you CS for your thoughts
This is truly the end of an era. Like watching Drew Brees, Payton Manning and Tom Brady retire. We all knew it was coming, just hate to see it come to an end. Kingda Ka and Top Thrill sparked so much new excitement for roller coasters. Enthusiasts have to feel like they are losing something special with this news. And seeing TT2 struggle right now shows just how great the mid 2000s were for this industry. It’s a shame we’ll never get that back.
The 2020's so far have sucked, thanks a lot COVID, along with the first big inflation on everything in years.
it's kind of insane to think that if this is happening this year, that'll mean that there are only two coasters left in the world that reach 100 mph. Dragster, Ka, Do Dodonpa and Formula Rossa will all either be closed permanently or indefinitely, and the only ones left will be Superman and Red Force. Sad times...
Superman barely runs anymore, and some speculate it will also be closing soon, which means that Red Force would be the only one left
I mentioned this on el toro Ryan’s video. I have a feeling it’s closing “as we know it”. Green lantern gets removed. They go to Intamin for this refit like they where going to do with Intamin at first before that idea fell apart and they extend KK into where Green lantern is
should be plenty of room to do something with LSM lauchers if they take the plot from GL and you could make it into a real coaster rather then just a lauchdemon (he i like Ka but other then the launch and one drop it doesn't do anything).
Your thinking with emotions and not logic. They are not going to do this its already off the table. Blame it on the nightmare refurb of TT2.
The trend I have seen is that many parks are doing away with large thrill attractions and are shifting to family-friendly experiences. Kingda Ka was built right towards the end of the coaster wars in the mid-2000s, and parks just have different priorities now than they did back then. I hope it stays at least one more season, but especially now with the new management, they could be ready to just do away with the coaster sooner rather than later.
I am honestly doubtful of it’s closure like executive likely know how special ka really is and with a recession looming for 2025 it’s unlikely they would tear it down and if they did they better be giving the golden kingdom an overhaul with some over the top velocicoaster level intamin launch coaster because the removal of ka would tear a huge gap in the lineup and building a huge coaster of tearing down one during a recession isn’t the greatest idea
If Kingda Ka closes, they should go back to Intamin and get a multi-launch coaster with airtime and inversions, similar to Velocicoaster. High capacity, great ride, and they can even add in a top-hat to pay homage to what was once there.
It will suck to lose it BUT if they build something even better and longer it can be worth it. Its rumored that they are also getting rid of green lantern. Thats a HUGE piece of land if they do so
i can’t imagine great adventure without kingda ka, the area surrounding the park, and the park itself would just look wrong. it would look so empty
Wow! Glad I've claimed this credit cause I'm still in pain when Volcano was closed
Listen man I get it. Maintenance, cost, all that. If Six Flags announces that the ride is closing and I go and ride it and at the end of the day look back at the coaster knowing I’m not gonna be able to feel that 0-128mph launch over a massive top hat ever again, I’m not shedding a tear. I’m BAWLING!! This is my home park. The Chiller made me sad. I actually shed a tear when Scream Machine closed cuz it was iconic to my roller coaster journey. Ka…nah man not Ka. At the very least give it a swing launch (by Intamin please) and extend the layout as a typical giga. But that fantasy talk smh. We just gonna have to wait and see. 😢
People saying this is a mistake removing this - but there are good reasons for its removal, there’s no point keeping it if it’s bleeding money and can’t be easily fixed. Sooner or later they have to rip the band aid off, so let’s just hope they plan a heck of a replacement that equally draws people to want to travel to visit the park. It’s sad that these hydraulic launch coasters seem like they’re on the way out, but it looks inevitable unfortunately :(
I only visited Great Adventure once back in 2005 when Kingda Ka was new - and it was closed due to an incident with damaged LSMs just a few days prior to my visit.
since Formula Rossa has brakes just after the launch, it's probably best to just get LSMs, put them all the way down the launch track and starting up the first hill and the speed will be the same for the rest of the layout. Maybe they'll even get more intense LSMs by now. To my knowledge, Taron still has the world's most intense LSM launch and that was built almost ten years ago.
They will not have the record anymore, but since Falcon's Flight will take that anyways, maybe they can make it work as a good launch coaster?
I hope we can get through 2025 with this one. It would be a nice way to end the 20th anniversary then revamp/new ride
I have never done Kingda Ka. I know it’s a bucket list ride for me, and I’m not the best with going headstrong for extremely high rides but, if this is the outcome, hopefully I get to at least experience this ride once. At least once. Cause this really is a cool ride. Even just to watch it go it’s cool.
I think the one thing you guys didn’t talk about is rider safety and the risk of the cable launch system breaking. With the new management group primarily coming from the Cedar Fair side, IMO they don’t want a repeat of TTD. I’m sure it took years to concept, develop, and deliver TT2. I’d suspect CF was working on replacement options for several years to eliminate the risk of another cable accident. Guest safety is paramount and maintenance/operating cost is important (and predictable) too, but accidents are reputation and a greater unexpected cost.
Kingda Ka has duel stations, so a huge swing launch is a lot more complicated, and definitely at this point not reliable. The new group needs time to weigh the cost and risks of another operating season, and send manufacturers into overdrive of a huge new project
I wish there was a way to preserve these powerful launched Coasters. I'm surprised that in 2024 engineers haven't figured out how to:
A. Make the hydraulic launch reliable as LSMs
B. Make LSMs as powerful as hydraulic launches. LSMs haven't been pushed anywhere near their limits yet. Which is the most possible and Station Wait did a video on this.
C. Make a new launch system thats as powerful as the hydraulic and as reliable as the LSM
Somehow Intamin made it work with Red Force though
If it does i think thats SFGA fastest way to lose even more business
Honestly...if removing this and not throwing tons of money into it benefits the park's current dystopian mess of existence, then whatever. The state laws have left the crappy trains on it unlike the majority of others. It breaks down constantly, and runs at poor capacity. It was rushed and should've never been built when it was in the first place. Never mind the amount of money dumped into the drop tower that should have a safari buss to take you down to it. Can they possibly keep the backdrop and redirect the drop tower's entrance to be over by El Toro?
you know I kinda get tired of all these parks building coasters to beat various world records...the tallest, the fastest, the fastest launch in the shortest amount of time, the longest, the most inversions (don't get me started on inversions!!). at the end of the day, none of these things matters if the ride is not a good layout and a fun, repeatable experience. some coasters these days are a one and done. ride it once, but it would not be marathonable (i think i just created a new word!!). so give me a good coaster that is just plain fun and I will be totally happy. i think the current theme park trend in building family-friendly coasters is a good one. I mean they are definitely plenty of fun but they don't rip your head off!! as an example I went to Dollywood this year for the first time and Big Bear Mountain was my favorite coaster. And it was the only coaster I rode more than once.
I disagree with this. The launch on Ka is unbelievable and some rides you go over the top hat with speed, others you barely make it over, and in rare situations you get to experience the legendary rollback!
You can thank Cedar Point for starting the Coaster Wars.
This better be a rumor that doesn't happen because I was planning a trip to Philadelphia next summer to visit the amusement parks in the area, including this one. If this coaster goes away, the whole trip is scrapped because then I'll have to wait for them to replace it with something that we all know won't be as good.
Man...im just ready for Green Lantern to go. BUT, I feel like that landscape is cursed as hell because of Scream Machine. 😅
Scream Machine saved the park
@@DJRocks107 ok and? My point is that it was rough and now green lantern is rough.
I think green lantern should get retracked and converted to a floorless
@@BRISTOLFORCE2009Retrack it and give it surf trains imo
King da Ka and Top Thrill Loser are def a blueprint for newer and greatest rides for the future though… these parks better get busy quick, Europe is already miles ahead in terms of innovation and thrill level… thank for what you do and bringing us great content.
I think this would be a much different conversation if TT2 had not closed - Zamperla likely lost a lot because of those issues
As a European tourist visiting New York City this summer, I only found out about Six Flags Great Adventure after looking up where the massive Kingda Ka coaster was located. My girlfriend and I were lucky enough to ride it twice, and honestly, we probably wouldn’t have gone to the park if it weren’t for Kingda Ka. We didn’t even know about rides like El Toro, Jersey Devil, or Nitro until just a few days before our visit. Kingda Ka is without a doubt the park’s signature attraction and an engineering marvel-you feel that the moment you enter the park.
Six Flags should really invest more in advertising, especially in major cities like New York and Philadelphia, instead of just building new roller coasters. We didn’t see any promotion for the park in either city! Kingda Ka was the only reason we visited, and I’m sure we’re not the only ones who plan a trip because of it.
Instead of constantly adding new coasters, the park should focus on improving its overall appearance and branding. Some parts feel like they haven’t been updated since the early 2000s, and with a little attention, the whole experience could be significantly enhanced. And honestly, the idea of removing Kingda Ka seems ridiculous-it’s the ride that draws people in! Why take away the very attraction that gets so many visitors through the gates?
This summer we got to ride Kingda Ka within an hour of park opening, and when we got right back in line it went down. What was funny we could hear one ride operator say “Did I win? I said an hour…” so they were casually betting on how long it would run each day 😂. It was closed the rest of the day.
People are forgetting, if Ka closed and was removed, they are actually removing TWO attractions... The drop tower would go as well.
at this point I don't think corporate cares about that. Guests do, but they might not. Although, it's true that parks normally don't like to lose multiple attractions within the same time frame but CF seems to be ruthless. Doesn't anyone else think it's highly coincidental that their first major order of business after merging with SF is to close the coaster they've been bitter about for 20 years? don't tell me that' s not part of the sudden decision. it most certainly is.
I will always look fondly on that night i marathoned this ride 7 times in the last 45 minutes the park was open
What's very interesting is that S&S built Maxx force fairly recently. The air powered and hydraulic launches are extremely similar mainly only changing the fluid that provides the energy. Wonder if we will see more air powered launches or if they will die out as well like Do-Dodonpa.
Great Adventure is my home park as well, and the role that this coaster has played in my coaster journey can't be overstated. And I'm about as GP as it gets for someone who follows a coaster channel!
What about turning the tophat into a lift hill and drop? Use LSMs to propel the train on a vertical launch up the existing tophat, similar to Wicked. Then have the train travel down the current drop, over the speed hill, and into a fast paced, giga style layout that extends into the current Green Lantern(remove) site. That keeps the height and speed and makes it a ride people will continue to travel far to ride. Just a random idea
If they were somehow gonna add a full layout (they wont) they should at least keep the launch speed and just let intamin do a swing launch with a reverse spike. Intamin knows coasters, intamin knows speed, intamin knows spikes, intamin knows wheels. Zampera didn't, and zamperla doesnt.
If Kingda Ka does close it makes the future for the other Hydraulic Launches look even more uncertain. Rides like Xcelerator at Knotts for example are also getting quite old and could potentially be out soon as well. Whether it’s a Cedar Fair / Six Flags trend or a more worldwide one could also make the fate of Stealth at Thorpe Park uncertain too, which I believe may be the tallest, faster by top speed and fastest accelerating Intamin Accelerator Coaster left after Ka.
I’m sorry but where did these rumors even come from? Why would they take out one of the two main draws to the park???
17:47 I thought you were about to say "I'll be out protesting with my Save Kingda Ka sign."
I really do hope they don’t do away with this entirely. All the points do make sense, but I really do think closing it without exploring another option would be worse than the backlash they’re experiencing with TT2.
I’m starting to regret not going two weeks ago while I was up in New York.
We should have enthusiasts talk about this with the park people
What you possibly dont seem to get is they do not care what you think or any of us think. They will do what they want to do weather it makes sense to us or not. Im sure they have valid logical reasons to do what they are going to do. I dont expect them to tell the public ethier. Remember what happened when volcano the blast coaster closed
It’s also been rolling back so much lately. Could that be because they aren’t really taking care of it anymore?
i’m also just going to mention that if they close ka then top thrill 2 will get its record back and they could open it next year as the worlds tallest coaster 🤷♂️ this might help boost cedar points image and we all know how much cedar fair loved cedar point
While I understand the situation from a business point of view, I hope this doesn’t happen at the end of this year just because riding Kingda Ka has been on my bucket list for years🙏🏻 But still experiencing Great Adventure for the first time hopefully next year will be great and there are so many other roller coasters I want to ride. We shall see and hope for the best🤞🏻
It will probably happen. We lost the wild mouse in 2 days. Ride closed in the September and stayed SBNO until December 27th when it was removed over night and cleared with no announcement. It’s very possible it might happen. Money at the moment is a serious concern for almost everyone and all businesses and I can imagine if it does go it’ll get a TT2 treatment or replaced with something completely differently unless intamin come in and fix it to be more cheap and reliable
6:58 Top Thrill 2 was supposedly being planned since 2019 with the accident just being a convenient (and perfectly understandable) excuse for them to not operate the original Dragster in 2022.
What doesn’t make sense is that they literally just repainted the trains for ka. Why repaint it if the coaster is getting removed?
Yeah
Because this wasn’t the original plan. When they did that refurb there were more than likely no plans to remove it.
They re-painted the trains, the WHOLE structure needs and has needed a re-paint that has never happened. The trains being re-painted doesn’t negate plans being changed.
That didn't stop them 14 years ago (R.I.P. Great American Scream Machine).
Red Force is an LSM Accelerator, maybe they give Kingda Ka the Red Force treatment
In nj, the roller coasters are inspected by train manufacturers. And for trains someone can’t edit a train they didn’t build. So they can’t redo ka because zamperla didn’t build it.