Top 10 Most Impactful Theme Park Stories of 2024

[@Outpost5Explorations]

I remember when people thought great adventure was getting a giga for their 50th but instead they got a vekoma super boomerang that didn't open and lost Kingda ka

[@JD.778]

Nobody said that at all besides random people spouting things. In 2023 no one thought a giga was coming.

[@Outpost5Explorations]

@JD.778 I wasn't talking about 2023

[@JD.778]

@ no I’m saying people the year before the 50th were saying that we wouldn’t get a giga for the 50th. That’s what I meant.

[@queenlilac7608]

when you think about it, if you subtract king da ka from the flash that's like... an anti giga? clocks in at around -300 feet at any rate

@@JD.778 Exactly. Especially since Legacy SF management weren't known for making hefty investments.

[@Fury325Fan]

The Great Coaster Purge of 2024 sounds fitting

[@reedspace8267]

I was planning to go to Kings Dominion in 2025, first time in 30 years, and Anaconda was a big part of the plan. I expected it to be retired _after_ the 2025 season. And I heard the news ON Christmas day.

[@dreamy.reader52]

​@@reedspace8267 Omg I feel so bad for you! I REALLY hope Six Flags would give something as simple as an ANNOUNCEMENT before rides get closed!!

[@ThePirateprincess23]

@@dreamy.reader52 it would honestly be nice if they would do that again. I remember when Magic Mountain announced Colossus' closure in 2014, they announced it 2 months before it happened and it gave fans time to go back for one final ride.

[@dreamy.reader52]

@@ThePirateprincess23 Yes, I completely agree with you!

@@dreamy.reader52 KD never gave announcements.

[@timmybelichick6373]

I’ve actually heard that the problem with modern B&Ms isn’t the company themselves and instead the subcontractors that manufacture the wheel bogeys. B&M does not build their own wheel assemblies, and the theory goes that they expanded their tolerances. Engineering tolerances are a big part of why older B&Ms are so smooth, but they’re also why B&Ms are traditionally super expensive additions. And post-pandemic, parks are looking for the cheapest investments, and so to compete, the subcontractor increased their tolerances. This keeps costs down but also introduces more variables into the motion of the bogeys, hence the rattle.

[@terrido2]

Well that's just retarted.

[@AirtimeThrills]

@timmybelichick6373 hopefully they nix that problem

[@chasebingaman]

That falcons flight thing is insane to me. I remember watching that announcement on the bus home from middle school and now I'm graduating. I didn't expect it to be even real and we'll see if it actually opens, but it even being built is wild

[@Loopdyloop325]

Most people laugh at Great Adventures 50th but with it as my home park it’s just frustrating. For people one of the flag ship parks what do we get? : Flash delayed, Ka gone, Green Lantern gone, Parachutes blown, Sky way gone, and twister gone… I’m not trying to complain but when will there be something positive?

[@TheBolligerMabillardLover]

New coaster announcement in 2025! Given their history I think it will be great!

[@Loopdyloop325]

Watch our new record breaking launch coaster be the tallest Larson loop

[@AirtimeThrills]

@@Loopdyloop325 2026

[@Loopdyloop325]

@ ah yes forgot it will be delayed as in typical GADV fashion

[@matt2848]

Some it is my home park

[@rixrobin]

I feel like the merger has to be the biggest event of this year. So many other events including what’s put above it were influenced by it.

[@AirtimeThrills]

@@rixrobin if thats the case then the merger really sucks since the 2 entries ahead of it were tons of delayed rides and great adventure beefing their anniversary lol

[@dreamy.reader52]

That's a good point

[@alex33952]

I think the b & M story may rise in 2025. If the 2025 rides all aren’t right they are going to have a crisis

[@FryGuy909]

great adventures 50th anniversary was the worst year for the park since the haunted castle fire

[@xavierwalko4175]

agreed.

[@racheljackson4428]

talk about a bummer.

[@matt2848]

Kingda ka 20 anniversary is not going to be good bc it is gone but it was 19

[@TrueLies23]

B&M is dealing with QC in parts sourcing. Rumor is slewing rings. Their track is still unwelded at rail joints so the tolerances are still super tight. It's train components across all models.

[@pabushcraft108]

That jolt at the end of Iron Menace is definitely a track issue tho

[@TrueLies23]

@pabushcraft108 the factory makes everything to spec with ridiculously tight tolerances, so it's a design issue. Clermont fabricates, they do not design.

[@pabushcraft108]

I just don’t think B&Ms designers would create such a sudden jolt like that, it’s not like they’re drawing the track by hand. Perhaps the construction crews bolted the pieces together incorrectly somehow. Either way, no new slewing rings are going to fix that.

[@TrueLies23]

That can happen as an unintended design flaw, obviously they didn't do it intentionally, but you are correct that slewing rings will not improve that issue. We'd know if it's design flaw if both rails have the same jolt. If they don't, it's an install issue or damage during transport. Take a look at how Clermont maintains their tolerances. It's impressive.

[@pabushcraft108]

@ Sorry I didn’t mean to imply that it would be done intentionally. It’s just that I can’t see something like that getting though all the test simulations B&M puts the designs through before they even get sent to Clermont to be fabricated. It’s probably an install issue, but of course I don’t work for B&M or Clermont or Dorney so I can’t say anything for certain.

[@michael7054]

Great video! Top Thrill 2 and the Great Adventure closings are 2 of the biggest events in 2024 to me. I really enjoyed watching this!

[@Elizilla18]

Thanks for including me in the Falcon’s Flight segment!

[@toadsicle1200]

I rode the new b&m family wing in Chessington UK and it felt like it had been there for 5 years… I have no idea what’s going on with their Quality Control but it needs sorting out.

[@Reptix24-ie1vo]

I really hope Rapterra is good

[@Heatherofscots]

Pipeline was smooth when it opened but it has aged rapidly which is kind of weird because the rest have had that rattle from their debuts.

[@racheljackson4428]

thanks for including my suggestion.

[@terrido2]

I'm depressed because I never got to ride Kingda Ka. 2024 shall be damned to hell. And 2025 shall restore B&M's reputation of quaility coasters (hopefully).

[@RavenzFlockNFL]

B&M fell off 😭

[@IllegalPizza777]

B&M now stands for Breakneck&Mid

[@KingsDominionfan50]

Rapterra looks good.

[@Froggy_Mapping]

@KingsDominionfan50😂

[@AirtimeAxolotl]

Penguin trek had a bad rattle

[@KingsDominionfan50]

@@Froggy_Mapping ?

[@Westkid3057]

Does it really surprise anyone that Europe dominated this year looking back at how bad this year was for American coasters?

[@AirtimeThrills]

@Westkid3057 they were looking good beforehand and the way it played out just solidified their win

[@Westkid3057]

​@AirtimeThrills if TT2 was done by a different manufacturer this season could've turned out differently, but I know there was other stuff that caused America's 2024 coaster year to be wonky

[@zacg_]

I know it wasn't realistic but I wish they'd given Lighting Rod an additional 20 feet or so of height on the first lift hill in order to ensure that it's speed going over the second hill and into the main drop resulted in a high speed run throughout the layout. It would mean you'd get a pop of air leading into the drop, speed for the whole layout after the lift hill and consistent reliability. And I think it would have garnered a lot of buzz that would have possibly overshadowed the disappointment with the loss of the launch.

[@AirtimeThrills]

I'm always begging for an extra 20 feet on coasters. If only it wouldnt require a major redesign

[@IMWBMEGJCC]

Six Flags Cedar Point looks like a nice place to put a 456 foot tall lawn ornament

[@zacg_]

Six Flags Sandusky Six Flags Lake Erie Six Flags Over the Ohio Best ride there is Man of Steel Vengeance

[@reedspace8267]

This video covered all three lawn ornaments. That said, I got to ride Steel Curtain in mid-July 2023, two weeks before it closed down (and hasn't reopened since then).

[@ThePirateprincess23]

Let's all hope that 2025 will be a better year in the industry and that the rides that were delayed in 2024 will actually open up on time in 2025 (assuming no more delays).

[@Coastersandwater]

Yeah, flash is definetly opening with the park and Georgia surfer might sometime in summer along with cotaland and Mattel adventure park so yeah it should be good

[@reedspace8267]

Please say this to Zimmerman: You do NOT retire rides without prior notice. It's an unofficial rule that can only be broken if a major incident or malfunction prevents people from getting their last rides. (Upcharge attractions don't count).

[@AirtimeThrills]

I bet this wont be the case in the future. Because of the merger they probably came in and made a lot of late decisions to get ready for next year

[@kgc0609]

I think the most impactful should be the six flags merger, since it will leave more long term effects and definitely contributed to no.1 in this list.

[@Musicalcoasters96]

I didn't think I could have a better ?! reaction than the one that I did when the merger happened but that rotten 50th anniversary sure gave me a strong ?! reaction.

[@johnfoltz8183]

According to the RCDB, all the coasters at Six Flags New Orleans are now removed and no longer SBNO. Dododumpa was the first victim of the Great Roller Coaster Purge of 2024. Several Hyper and giga coasters are getting a repaint, Pantherion, Millennium Force, Goliath at both Magic Mountain and over Georgia, Mamba, and Titan

Even MZ?

[@thecoasterauthority]

wait what??? since when are millie and the giovanola hypers getting a repaint??

[@johnfoltz8183]

@ I think millennium force will have the same color scheme and maybe Goliath at MM

[@sterospa]

I'm worried about B&M. I ridden penguin trek and phoenix rising and they need improvement. Why 1 train on phoenix. They had some space to accommodate a 2nd train. Get it it replaced scorpion but that was a different story and I bet it had 2 train operations at some point in its life.

[@thepolicyoftruth]

what a year

[@Splater765]

I wonder if Clearmont/B&M changed the type of steel they used to make their rides

[@Paolo8772]

I can understand Superman at SFMM eventually closing due to down time and being a shuttle coaster with no turns and/or laterals, so I thought Kingda Ka was safe. Boy was I wrong. I'm just glad I got to ride it in 2022. I can't say that for Superman at SFMM but it's inferiour in every way to Kinda KA. Besides I also rode TTD in 2018 so I can't exactly complain about my lot

[@TrueLies23]

Siren's Curse has nothing to do with TT2. Attendance, per capita spending were up this year even with the closure, and a corporation that is looking to save money doesn't see a need to do something like that. That is, no offense, thoosie thinking. When you've already sunk money into a coaster that never got built, you put it at the park that will net you the fastest ROI, especially when the debt is overwhelming. Same reason they're employing project accelerate. The amount of money made off merch at CP when a new coaster opens is ridiculous, let alone the increase in food sales, other merch sales, etc. My BIL's buddy is manager of F&B at CP and my friend who got me into media day, his friend is in charge of merchandise for CP, so I do have some knowledge that most people don't. A lot of people wondered why it didn't go to KI. I don't know why, but this might play into it: kings island has seen a decrease in regional draw, an increase in local attendance, and decrease in per-capita spending in park adjusted for inflation. They're shifting back to getting families to spend their vacation time and dollars at the park. The high thrill coasters will probably come once every 5-7 years at best. Rumor I'm hearing right now is later opening day, fewer firework nights, sooner closing day and possibly some earlier closing times

[@AirtimeThrills]

That all makes sense. I wonder if down the line we will get the inside scoop on the sirens curse decision

[@TrueLies23]

@AirtimeThrills i hope so! Also, you just gave me a video idea suggestion: the people in the industry who need to write a book the most. There is so much happening right now that will make for some excellent memoirs. I love the way you present your perspective so I'm really curious who you'd like to hear stories from the most.

[@katieanderson8236]

For me, the merger has to be the number one story. Long impact

[@Artbyhurricanyounot]

I’m more shocked that so many of these were from THIS YEAR…

[@AirtimeAxolotl]

I feel so bad for six flags great adventure

[@thepolicyoftruth]

same

[@christianortiz-v1l]

Facts, hope they do better next year with Flash

[@dreamy.reader52]

I know! I can't imagine how they feel right now..

[@danamarie2970]

@@dreamy.reader52 We're devastated.

[@mellowboym]

Obviously this is a roller coaster channel, but since this list is about big theme park stories in general, I really think the closure of Muppet vision 3-D at Disney World was a major story. That is what many people consider now a classic attraction and was beloved by fans. It was Jim Henson‘s final project before he passed, and I think it was a pretty huge deal that they removed it for a new monsters Inc. roller coaster style ride.

[@WasowskiSings]

Listen, as someone who now lives in Pittsburgh, I love our 200+ foot Lawn ornament

[@skatewithnomercy]

The merger will go down as the Kmart sears merger of the theme park world.

[@cocojanette]

We legit just got back from a New Year’s Eve winterfest trip at californias great America, my home park, and as it turned 12:00 am I was going down goldstrikers first drop, and it was an insane night ride(the rattling is too much for me though). What a way to start 2025!

[@hazza5999]

The closure of Flambards and the loss of the Zierer Hornet hardly will be on your radar, but it hurt badly in Cornwall, UK.

[@JoshCassler]

I think in 10 years B&M will no longer be building record breaking thrill rides like fury, it will then be Mack, Intamin, and rmc

[@KingsDominionfan50]

Doesn’t make much sense but k.

[@JoshCassler]

@ I say this because their new rides seem to be developing a rattle, and it has been a few years since they’ve built a ride close to fury, as their coasters have been family/small scale dive

[@MsHardstyleMonster]

There's a misconception about Siren's Curse: Six Flags México announced they were gonna move the new coaster to another area of the park after they did a poll with the neighbors and people were upset they were cutting down trees. But they reassured the project was still going to happen and even kept teasing with coaster emojis.. Then there was like 2 months of silence and suddenly CP announced the coaster. I'm still bitter about that, Zimmerman is a mess.

[@ejectorairtime73]

great adventures 50th anniversary is just sad and a disaster i really hope next year will be a better year for coasters

[@SnowghostFilms]

In case anyone was wondering, my comment was basically a headline summary of every event I could remember from this year, hence why my channel’s name turned up something like 10 times in the video.

[@matt2848]

Six flags great adventure lost so much 😢😢😢😢😢 rip kingda ka green lantern Twitter sky way and parachutes. We will miss them so much and that is my home park 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢 but we are geting flash 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊 but we will miss all of them Long live the king kingda ka

[@toyoracer33]

Buy or sell - based on the permit for Kingda Ka being filed as an alteration Rather than removal, Kingda Ka gets reimagined after all. With a record-breaking swing launch and an extended layout past the top hat.

[@dreamy.reader52]

But didn't Six Flags confirm that wasn't going to happen?

[@Fam-G-Thrills]

Six Flags also gave crushing news of no more events at California's Great America. No more fireworks, No more Carnival, No more Winterfest!!! One of the best Winterfests ever with a million lights, gone! Amazing food, amazing 4th of July BBQ gone. Seems like soon CGA and 6 flags Discovery Kingdom might be shut down sooner then expected. A huge blow to us all in NorCal and the bay area.

[@Thrills_And_Chills_WQAQ]

I really like iron menace, it’s my favorite dive because of the pacing, but I can’t deny how shaky it is. It’s absolutely unacceptable how shaky it is. The jolt is more funny than painful but it’s still really disappointing.

[@Thelightning1out]

I may have lost my launch but I get to keep my reliabilityyyyyy

[@joshuaeoff4402]

Six Flags Great Adventure is going to add a world-record-breaking launch coaster for the 2026 season

[@IsleofPigsStudios]

Great Adventure’s 50th was worse than Angry Birds 10th and Angry Birds 15th. And both Angry Birds anniversaries I mentioned were pretty bad.

[@toyoracer33]

I still maintain Kingda Ka isn't coming down. That new record-breaking launch is going to be the world's fastest swing launch over the existing top hat and a somewhat extended layout. All of their other permits call for removal, this one was filed as an alteration. We'll see what happens.

[@toyoracer33]

@@AirtimeThrills this hurts my soul

[@jtbowman132]

Does anyone know specifically what’s wrong with Steel Curtain? I know it’s structural issues, but is it the supports or the track itself or both? I’m hoping to ride it one day :’)

[@AirtimeThrills]

I think it needed additional supports because of the land it sits on. That was the initial rumor and based on the work actually being done, the story checks out

[@gukx1]

skyrush where

[@AirtimeThrills]

It was on there

[@gukx1]

@AirtimeThrills there can never be enough

[@feliperocha2933]

You missed Rip Ride Rocket, one of Airtime Thrills favorite coasters, announcing its closure in September 2025! I hope you're able to get to Florida for one last ride brother!

[@AirtimeThrills]

Yep i will be getting my last rides

[@TheRealestHooman]

What perks does your patreon have?

[@AirtimeThrills]

@@TheRealestHooman early access to videos(i have about 10 on there now), exclusive Q&As, vertbal shoutouts and your name posted on the patreon screen on each video

[@TheRealestHooman]

@@AirtimeThrills how much does it cost

[@AirtimeThrills]

@@TheRealestHooman $5 a month

[@DomDigironimo-r7v]

the drop tower was done for awhile befor 2017-2021 only 4 years

[@whylifeis4]

Long live the King 🫡

[@MOREVIVID25]

Rip ride died

[@reedspace8267]

Are you referring to Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket at Universal Orlando? That isn't dead until September 2025. You actually can get in your last rides there.

[@falconejo]

Just curious what’s going on with Montazumas revenge at Knotts

[@AirtimeThrills]

Its still being worked on apparently, last word is that itll be ready in 2025

[@AirtimeThrills]

This will be on my buy or sell Thurs

[@falconejo]

Cool thanks. Looking forward to the video

[@charlithewolf]

Im still so mad about six flags being so secretive about the rides they are taking out. Really wanted to go ride KA but since i live in California i cant just hop on a plane and fly to the other side of the country. I just hope whatever replaces KA is something good. All they said was record breaking launch coaster so that could mean anything . Im just hoping its not a record breaking family launch coaster but im prepared to be let down when they announce the replacement for KA if it turns out to be that. But now i wonder if the great coaster purge will continue into 2025. I guess question is what will be the first coaster to be removed in 2025?

[@seriomarkj]

Hopefully all the coaster closures will be worth it in 5 years...a lot of space is now being opened up so heres hoping

[@AirtimeThrills]

Thats what I'm thinking

[@mdf3530]

14:28 I hope that Great America’s (both of them) 50th anniversary in 2026 goes more like Walt Disney World’s than Great Adventure’s.

[@ElectriKong-]

Don't get your hopes up for CGA, best case scenario nothing happens for its 50th anniversary. Can't expect any positive developments out of park poised to close within less than a decade.

[@mdf3530]

@ I was talking more for my home park SFGAm.

[@dreamy.reader52]

I feel really bad for the SFGA locals and how heartbroken and frustrated they must be right now...

[@genoesposito2895]

The merger is #1

[@Cheezbat]

2024 has been crap year here in the United States for coaster enthusiasts

[@adventureswithadam394]

My guessing your Next Video will be uploaded on Wednesday or Thursday

[@AirtimeThrills]

Both days

[@Thelightning1out]

I hate how they closed Kingda Ka and I’m mad at great adventure for it. But hey on the bright side green lantern has been scrapped and that ride was garbage so I’m glad it was removed.

[@reedspace8267]

Not without a sendoff!

[@Popcorn21-d8y]

Cedar fair DIED😢

[@JonahIsAMiuStan]

can't wait for 2025 where they finally announce at michigan's adventure that new water fountain!!!

[@AirtimeThrills]

Lol you wish

[@christianortiz-v1l]

At least give them an XD Dark Ride or XD Theater from Triotech.

[@AG7-MTM]

Honestly, I support some of New SF's decisions - it's all about smart business

[@cccEngineer]

I'm not mad that Six Flags removed Green Lantern and are set to remove Kingda Ka. I'm only disappointed in the way they disrespected their customers by not announcing the closure of a ride that has such an impact on enthusiasts and GP alike, Kingda Ka. So, for that reason I'm out. No pass for me. Hersheypark is better anyway.

[@ninjagirl226]

Oh you are just scratching the surface of what went wrong with Great Adventure. You have the one train ops for a lot of the season because maintenance couldn’t keep up or fix things. They failed to open the mazes for 3 weeks at Halloween due to permitting issues. It was so bad they had to cancel their specially ticketed event for Halloween and open it to everyone, and even then it was a very sad Halloween event. (I highly recommend Dorney for Halloween instead). Their refurbishment’s on the Ferris wheel and log flume were very late openers. And they likely broke the log flume as it was open for maybe a week and down more time than up. They also kind of just turned off the new effects on Skull Mountain midrange; yeah the skull on the facade crumbled but beyond that they turned off the lights and music they installed last year. They had two accidents back to back weeks in December. One with people on the ride. The other well I have no idea how they got two cars on Joker’s lift hill but thankfully no one was on the ride with that one. And on top of all of that you have all the ride closures. Great Adventures priorities all year were way off. They wanted beautification projects like their new entry way, flower beds, and stupidly expensive cabanas over a lot of their promises. Management is the issue as ground workers were always super nice.

[@AirtimeThrills]

Definitely a good thorough summary

[@Charlie-OGSP]

Poor Six Flags Mexico. They haven't gotten a modern coaster in so long.

[@Brandon-qd2lb]

Will 2025 be a shit show or not? I’m scared for six flags! Are they giving skyline till next year to fix their rides?

[@AirtimeThrills]

I wouldnt be surprised if those skyline coasters were removed a year from now

[@coyotegames156]

It’s Pantherian not Pantherion 😭

[@reedspace8267]

Take the "ri" out of "Pantherion" and you get one of your competitor's coasters. Pantherian does sound a bit similar to Pantheon.

[@AirtimeThrills]

Honestly what the hell is the difference

[@dreamy.reader52]

​@@AirtimeThrillsFrr lol 😂

[@Tapirboi]

B&M fell of hard

[@CoasterPlanet]

h

[@bwalko5674]

Still better than 2020 at least?

[@Fury325Fan]

@@bwalko5674 barely

[@bwalko5674]

@Fury325Fan better is better

[@katieanderson8236]

Wow, 2024 sucked

[@toyoracer33]

Buy or sell resubmission - multiple KZbinrs Make the trip to Saudi Arabia to ride Falcon's Flight, But none of them succeed.

[@AirtimeThrills]

This actually leads off Thursdays episode

[@toyoracer33]

@@AirtimeThrills 👏👏👏

[@idiotplaysvr]

TALK ABOUT SIX FLAGS NEW ENGLAND AAAAA

[@AirtimeThrills]

Shoulda gotten a thrill coaster

[@garygandhu7770]

skibidi six flags great adventure???

[@christianortiz-v1l]

Bruh 😐

[@homeboy_roy1570]

Disney having any kind of smash hit in the chamber seems like a pipe dream at best at this time. Can they afford to bankroll something groundbreaking? Hell yea, they can. Will they spend the money effectively? Fuck no they won't.

[@namevone]

It's weird because that new Space Mountain going to Tokyo Disneyland looks incredible, but I doubt they'd do anything like that in the US.

[@homeboy_roy1570]

@namevone that's the difference between properties managed by the oriental land company vs the walt disney co