When Could Kingda Ka Close & Why Removing It Makes Sense (Sorta)

[@toyoracer33]

Plot twist: Kingda Ka enters the new Six Flags ride rotation program

[@oxygen3143]

“We’ve decided to move Kingda Ka to Six Flags America”

[@CCA_]

Bro could you imagine them taking it down and building up a 400ft coaster

[@CoasterVet]

@@oxygen3143Give it to SFA, they’ll take it, they’ll take anything.

[@MichaelRei99]

It will be sold. Probably to the land of sand.

[@carysage]

They should move it to CP and make TT2 a racing coaster 😂😂😂

[@rblx-27chaza]

yknow the coaster community getting scared when coaster studios and eltororyan make a video about the same topic on kingdaka within 1 hours (more like 45 minutes)

[@V1_gameir]

I was thinking the same thing

[@user-pl5ds8iz6q]

They made Knotts Giga videos too. Apparently they had inside information 😂

[@baileyneedham169]

@@user-pl5ds8iz6q that was cancel tho. They were still right about the rumors

[@ryanenis5750]

Imagine watching Coaster Studios.

[@what_27]

@@ryanenis5750 imagine not

[@cedricsiebenaler9517]

As a European tourist who visited New York City this summer, I only discovered Six Flags Great Adventure after researching where this massive roller coaster, Kingda Ka, was located. I was lucky enough to ride it twice with my girlfriend, and honestly, we probably wouldn’t have visited the park if it weren’t for Kingda Ka. We had no clue about El Toro, Jersey Devil, Nitro, or many of the other coasters until just a few days before our visit. Kingda Ka is truly Six Flags Great Adventure's flagship ride and a technological masterpiece-you realize that the moment you enter the park. Six Flags really needs to invest more in advertising, especially in places like New York and Philadelphia, instead of focusing on adding new rides. We didn’t see anything about the park in either city! Kingda Ka was the sole reason we decided to visit, and I’m sure we’re not the only ones who feel that way.

[@mimisissi]

As a Canadian that go 2 or 3 times a year it would be nice to have hotels near the park too. Closest hotel is at least 15 minutes from SFGA.

[@samuelitooooo]

As a New Yorker, better public transportation would help a ton. And now that Great Adventure is also becoming an on-site resort, a secondary train line between New York City (population 8 million, not counting surrounding suburbs which enjoy great train access to the central business district and, therefore, connecting trains) and Philadelphia has never looked more appropriate. The state-operated transit agency, NJ Transit, used to run a bus from NYC, but of course those only carry 57 people at a time. And COVID has sadly shaken up a ton of New Jersey buses; a private operator had to take over after NJ Transit canceled that one bus to the park.

[@projectnightfall6882]

Unlike Cedar Point, which has a lot of globally renowned coasters, Kingdra Ka is the reason people travel globally to visit Great Adventure. Even knowing how good El Toro is I think my desire to visit this park would drop a lot without Kingdra Ka being there.

[@coolboss999]

This would be a massive blow not just to Six Flags guests but to a LOT of people in the NorthEast because King Da Ka is like one of the only really BIG coasters we have here. No other parks close to us have a giga coasters like this. This would be a huge blow to the attendance at this park.

[@PhongNguyen-po2zi]

Is nitro not a hyper coaster? And is el toro not intense enough?

[@coolboss999]

@@PhongNguyen-po2zi I meant a 300ft+ coaster in the park. I forgot what those are called.

[@namevone]

@@coolboss999 To be fair if they were to get rid of Kingda Ka, they would 100% replace it with something massive. Definitely not as tall as Kingda Ka, but at least a giga.

[@PhongNguyen-po2zi]

@@coolboss999 GIGA(for magic mountain)

[@360coasters]

@@coolboss999 Giga's and Kingda Ka is a strata

[@Giraffecon]

Babe wake up eltororyan is on a king da ka video streak

[@elirush4566]

Fun fact: kingda ka has more mechanics and maintenance personnel dedicated to it than most parks have for the whole park lmao

[@couch2558]

So badly hoping they don't remove it. I only got one opportunity so far and unfortunately it closed for rain just before we got the chance.

[@AG7-MTM]

So badly hoping they do remove it. I don't see myself getting the opportunity to ride this in the immediate future and if I did, I need it to be consistently open, which it can't.

[@MichaelRei99]

@@AG7-MTMWhat a stupid comment.

[@lazy747unitedairlines]

@@AG7-MTM*don’t remove it

[@macmahon_matt]

Me too.

[@timforgette]

"For those of you who are unfamiliar, a block zone is a section of ride that only one train may occupy." I'm very upset I didn't hear this.

[@AmusementLabs]

We could very well be watching the beginning of the end for Great Adventure. You don't remove your headliner and not expect to take a MASSIVE attendance hit.

[@MichaelRei99]

Very possible.😢

[@chadmorris946]

The park will do just fine.

[@buldasur2576]

What do you mean by “the end”. They’re going to put a massive coaster within that spot.

[@jeo33466]

​@@buldasur2576 There already is a massive coaster there

[@danamarie2970]

Scream Machine saved the park from closing. Removing Ka will destroy it.

[@WhoElseButJarjosa]

I have never been on Kingda Ka, but it's such a famous and iconic ride, it just seems crazy to me they'd tear it down.

[@joao.spegiorin]

My first and only visit to Great Adventure was in 2016. The trip was supposed to happen only in NYC, but since my parents knew I loved amusement parks (and we don't have a lot of high end parks around here in Brazil), they took me to Six Flags. I only rode Ka once, and I remember it was such a cloudy day that the tower was above the clouds, yet they were still operating the ride. It wasn't my favourite coaster, but it probably was the most remarkable coaster ride I've done. I really hope this icon doesn't go

[@reddcube]

Late October seems way too late to announced the closure of Kingda Ka. They're already selling 2025 season passes and moved Flash: VV opening to next year. This would be killing John Wick's dog level of bad PR

[@harryhollas2004]

well...

[@reddcube]

@@harryhollas2004 Baba Yaga will pay a visit to Mr. Zimmerman

[@jricedrums]

I’m very fortunate that I got to take a day off from work, fly up and o NJ and ride Kingda Ka 4 times this past Sunday. 3 of those times were front row. It had been over three years since my last ride and I forgot just how powerful they launch us! Thank you for the heads up to go ride it again! Hopefully not my last time riding, but I’m happy to have ridden it again!

[@singlerailindustries1763]

Unless Six Flags Great Adventure releases an official statement confirming the closure or demolition of Kingda Ka, I believe the most likely scenario is a replacement of the hydraulic launch system with an LSM launch, similar to what’s been done with Top Thrill 2. It’s also possible they’ll retrack some of the more stressed sections where high G-forces are affecting the track. I highly doubt they would remove their record-breaking coaster entirely without clear communication.

[@Danrarbc]

I commented this on another channel today: The total area Fury 325 uses is about 333,000 square feet. The total area of Green Lantern (also rumored to close) and Kingda Ka is about 380,000 square feet. There is absolutely enough room for a BEAST of a giga. Perhaps even a lift hill strata.

[@Random_Eebs]

Lift hill strata would make up for it

[@RochD2]

Giga is the ONLY acceptable replacement for ka

[@Random_Eebs]

@@RochD2 or b&m strata

[@eddieholt8222]

@@Random_Eebs IMO, a lift hill will never make up for a launch.

[@Random_Eebs]

@@eddieholt8222 maybe something like maverick but scaled up 4x

[@wutmagna7222]

Converting it into an Intamin LSM Multi Launch coaster with an extended layout is probably the best option compromising ride operations and maintenance, iconography, and overall entertainment value for the park.

[@JoeyH-sb3fq]

I would agree with you if Zamperla didn't bomb on Top thrill dragster. And I don't think intamin would want to do it.

[@wutmagna7222]

@@JoeyH-sb3fq I disagree. Intamin has been on Cedar Fair's bad list for years now, mostly because of the headache some of their rides have been to maintain. Now that they've merged with Six Flags, it could be an opportunity for a fresh start with Intamin, and if it were to pay off it would place them back on the newly merged company's good list, which just means a large number of parks that would now be able to get new Intamin made rides. So I have to think that Intamin would absolutely be willing to take on the project.

[@Pocketkid2]

If they really do close Ka, I may never go back to that park again, considering how many other huge parks I've never been to that I should try instead, and Ka was the main attraction for me at Great Adventure. I am so glad I got to write Ka 4 times this summer (making that 5 total rides, modest, I know, but enough to appreciate Ka) as it is maybe my favorite coaster I've ever been on.

[@tobyzilla]

If the ride closed then I'll just see them keeping the tower and removing everything else of kinda ka since zoom and jarow drop of doom is attached to the same tower

[@mulinhuan8410]

I grew up in China and have always loved coasters but couldn't learn more about them since many websites and videos are not accessible from there and there are very few enthusiasts in China. But we still traveled around a lot to ride coasters, I just never cared to learn about them since I didn't know coaster enthusiasts are a thing. There are only two coasters that I really knew about back then: Kingda Ka and Millennium Force, they are so famous that even with limited access to media I still know about them. Then we moved to NJ in 2018 and I knew I had to ride Kingda Ka. I loved that ride so much that I started to look up coasters for the first time and learned all about the manufactures, the elements, the physics and science and engineering behind coasters, and the awesome coaster community of enthusiasts. It all started with Ka and for that reason Ka has a very special place in my heart. I will be so sad if Ka really is meeting the end. (I wrote this comment again after my last comment disappeared lol)

[@candice1989fx]

捉到了野生的你~ 😇

[@mulinhuan8410]

@@candice1989fx 哈哈哈会长好

[@NixterThePhoenix]

Man, I remember watching so many videos about Kingda Ka as a kid on KZbin, whether it be documentaries, POVs, or recreations in RCT3 or NoLimits. Never had the chance to actually ride it, and now I'm sad I likely never will 😭

[@AC1097-eb2ss]

Tearing down Ka/Zumanjaro, the attendance and PR setback of losing 2 of the park's headlining attractions (including one of the most iconic coasters on the planet), and building a ride worthy of replacing both of those would easily cost GAdv more than just continuing to maintain it for another decade, or just getting a more reliable company than Zamperla to convert it into an LSM. The only logical reason to tear it down is so Cedar Point can advertise TT2 as the tallest/fastest coaster in America for its grand re-reopening. And if you doubt that Cedar Fair would get dirty to help their favorite park just look at what they did with Geauga Lake.

[@BakuGone]

Removing Kingda Ka would be the absolute death of Great Adventure. The entirety of the park's tourism would disappear. Removing it to build a hotel that no one would stay in because you got rid of Kingda Ka is absolutely inane. I just pray we are all really wrong about what's happening.

[@NotHaydenMoss]

Feels unreal that one of if not the most iconic and famous roller coasters in the world is headed to its end

[@MichaelRei99]

Congrats Ryan on 150 K subs!!

[@bstives58]

Meanwhile, Cedar Fair never replaced Vortex at Kings Island...

[@davidrivera9743]

They are still working on that.

[@bstives58]

@@davidrivera9743 meh...maybe...it better be good

[@lanceflx63]

Don’t think it’s going to be removed. I think it’s going to be reimagined.

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

This would be so stupid considering they repainted the trains and they look gorgeous

[@nickvilagi5151]

Cedar Fair is certainly ruthless enough to do it this year, they even did it to an entire park in Geauga Lake with no warning. I would hope the potential PR backlash is enough to at least give a long notice. If they do close it, an Intamin-led refurb would be my vote, one that would hopefully allow Zumanjaro to survive. Hope the new six flags and intamin can make up though...

[@davidrivera9743]

The PR on it would cause people that know to leave and never come back. The park I thought was going to be in jeopardy with the merger was Dorney Park not GA pulling up stakes on Ka and not replacing would be that level bad.

[@thedalekditto15]

I am gonna point out. As having my home park be Knotts berry farm, run by cedar fair, a year or so back xcelerator came back from a multi year shutdown and it has been running fantastically with minimal downtime since. Cedar fair is not blindly removing every hydraulic launch they had, it’s on a different scale but they were putting in a lot of work and a lot of money on xcelerator, so while runouts are scary, cedar fair has acted in different ways to hydraulic launches needing fixes on different coasters

[@ToaOfFusion]

The difference between Xcelerator and something like Kingda Ka and the original Top Thrill Dragster is that Xcelerator is much smaller and not as fast, meaning that wear-and-tear and maintenance is not as intense compared to the latter two coasters. It's even possible some of the old parts from Top Thrill Dragster were used as spare parts for Xcelerator, which could be why it's up-and-running like normal again.

[@thedalekditto15]

@@ToaOfFusion agreed, I mentioned the difference in scale but it is a massive factor. I hadn’t considered the idea of top thrills parts being used on xcelerator but it does sound plausible and would be damming, as Knotts has literally no space so they’d essentially have to take it down or keep the launch. So there is a chance that they aren’t willing to keep any out of that circumstance. I still think it makes it more likely they are not gonna remove it, but I see the point.

[@TheNinjaDC]

Xcelerator has two advantages that make it likely to stay longer. One, it is a smaller coaster that has less intense forces and wear and tear. Two, it is a compact headliner coaster that would be hard to find a replacement that fits its land size. Knott's is incredibly land locked park, and Xcelerator is right on the edge of the property line. A worthy headliner replacement for Ka is an easy fit at GA in contrast.

[@InsaneCoasterPOVS]

It may close and come back as Kingda 2

[@ymalklk]

I hope they convert it; it’s too iconic

[@Starlit43]

Let’s say they get a coaster that’s better then Ka. Is it really pushing the lineup that much forward? Also you would be losing zumanjaro which is one of if not the best drop tower out there and it duels with Ka. That is a massive loss and any drop tower they get after will feel less than. You could also be losing green lantern which I know most people don’t like but I think it’s a solid ride. I just don’t see this as a net positive. However the only good thing is that this doesn’t really change how much longer it would take for great adventure to get a new coaster because they’re already getting flash the year before. That would be for their next coaster that wouldn’t replace a already existing coaster.

[@darealsavage3472]

Green Lantern should return to Kentucky Kingdom as a floorless coaster

[@cearathibodeau1852]

Green lantern is the worst coaster I've ever been on 😅 my poor privates 😂

[@darealsavage3472]

@cearathibodeau1852 you could say Green Lantern is a ride which women would enjoy more

[@BadPenny3]

​@@darealsavage3472As a woman, believe me, there is NO enjoyment to be found on that ride!!

[@Jiggy609]

Lantern sucks lol

[@firefly8065]

If the rumors are true I'd be devastated as Kingda Ka is one of my all time favorite coasters. But if it does go, then I'm so so grateful to my past self for making an effort to visit Great Adventure a few years ago just to ride it

[@bradowen2066]

Englishman here - from being a young kid watching vids of kingda ka on the early years of youtube i always wanted to go to SFGA. We made it happen in 2022 and although we visited for kingda ka, we were surprised by the volume and quality of other rides there. I'd definitely visit again if i was in new york.

[@dashdeception]

it seems like the move in US parks is to make weaker rides that are more family friendly and high capacity so I am not sure that there would be a replacement that would make coaster junkies happy

[@maxwellquebec8675]

I love mergers, it's great how two companies combine their worst traits to focus in on the most effective ways to upset their customers.

[@JamesDasher-i7b]

Corporate greed is wonderful isnt it?

[@gccentral714]

I gotta be honest and I just commented this on coaster studios video but The thing that gets me is literally everyone is covering this topic and i mean everyone keeps saying along the lines of "behind the scenes talks" or "ideas floating around" or "ideas being discussed" All with zero supporting evidence. Who is the one saying this, where are the rumors coming from. Everyone that is covering this rumor should list credible sources. It's getting annoying when all everyone that is covering this is saying essentially "we've heard from behind the scenes." Cite sources. Credible ones. Show documents or whatever it is that proves it's done. Everyone's been saying we've heard this and that without who's actually saying it or what documents are stating this.

[@Jadentheman]

It started with the keep riding coasters dude. Don't know if he made it up, and it's simply a game of telephone or they all have the same source that doesn't know much, etc.

[@stevenyw]

the “source” did get the fact that zamperla was revamping top thrill dragster correct wayyyy before top thrill 2 was announced, so i trust it imo

[@ZMSaypol]

Releasing the names of people who are not supposed to be giving out inside information like this will result in them losing their jobs. That is the reason nobody is saying who exactly is giving out these secrets

[@gccentral714]

@@ZMSaypol coaster studios made the same point and my response was, When I was an employee of great adventure from the 2010-2013 season we all knew chang was coming to the park and weren't allowed to speak about it. HOWEVER, there was permits filed, etc etc that all pointed to Chang being the coaster coming to the park that fueled rumors and proved points in the public. The difference here is there is zero documents supporting this that have come forward and its just a loop of weve heard this and that. No demolition permits, no construction permits, nothing. It's the age old "because the dippin dots guy said so" argument that is being taken as fact. I do appreciate that ryan states that plans change and nothing is 100%

[@coastercube838]

Honestly that’s kinda idiotic to say, El toro Ryan’s source predicted the entire top thrill 2 situation with 100% accuracy. This is the guy to trust. If the names were released they would lose their job and get is huge trouble

[@kh4487]

As someone from Germany with no plans of coming to the US anytime soon, I am so glad I got to ride Kingda Ka back in 2012, or whenever I was in the States. I'm already upset I never got to experience Top Thrill Dragster, but at least I got to experience Kingda Ka.

[@ZeldaTheSwordsman]

IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER: "TOP THRILL DRAGSTER" WAS ANNOUNCED SIMPLY AS "CLOSING" BEFORE IT WAS ANNOUNCED AS BEING CONVERTED. So all _closure_ means is "fate pending" Another important thing to consider is the incident that caused Top Thrill Dragster to close in the first place. Cedar Fair undoubtedly want to make sure Kingda Ka doesn't have a similar incident on their watch now that it's their problem, and the ride would have to close at least temporarily for them to be able to make a full assessment of its condition. A connection you could have done with making more explicitly: The massive teething troubles with Top Thrill 2, and the extent to which Kingda Ka's closure/removal is being muttered about. A conversion might still be on the cards, but that's undountedly contingent on how much more grief they have with TT2 before it's running smoothly.

[@shanedenmark5536]

No it wasn’t. It was announced to not operate for the season a couple times after the accident and then they announced TTD was done as we know it but they were working on how to re-imagine the ride.

[@andrewbarrett42]

If it gets removed they need to replace it with something just as tall or taller,Its about time we see a 500ft lift hill coaster.Glad I got to ride it.

[@SpiderWaffle]

If the track is still good enough to re-imagine the ride that would be cool, use LSMs with a swing launch and/or track extension. It could have larger circuit that builds up to ~90mph before making a banked turn and then boosting the rest of the way on the current track.

[@starryagent9936]

Here’s something else to consider; these 100+ mph launch coasters that were the byproduct of the coaster wars are becoming extinct. Top Thrill Dragster and Do-Dodonpa have gone, Formula Rossa is likely getting a less intense launch, and now this. And with the hydraulic launch in general becoming increasingly rare, combined with Falcon’s Flight inching towards completion and the eventual shattering of Ka’s big record, and there is a LOT of reason to speculate that this ride might be gone soon. The amusement industry is not what it was in 2005, and with record-breaking new rides becoming less and less frequent, I’m actually on the side that these rumors are more likely than not true, if not this year, then definitely next year. I pray that I’m wrong, but it just makes too much sense

[@samsaek666]

Kingda Ka is such a legendary ride, it’s a landmark and known worldwide. Either this is about to collapse or they don’t know what they’re doing

[@TheAlternateYT]

Very sad to hear. In college I participated in a Hydraulic Bike competition for my senior design project. One of the main sponsors of the competition supplies numerous hydraulic parts for the launches. They stated if Intamin had just had a hydraulic company design the launch and components it would be much more reliable. They are also sad to see the industry move away from this fluid science to just use electricity (LSM) for launches. I have always wondered how rides like Stormrunner, Stealth, and other hydraulic launches don't seem to have nearly as many problems.

[@coolcatbobby01]

well maybe for the case of storm runner since it’s not a big and fast as ka the wear and tear isn’t as bad but when i go there storm runner is a hit or miss for being open throughout the day or closed.

[@visionist7]

Stealth is often down throughout parts of the day

[@TripBloggers]

It’s crazy they wouldn’t at least advertise the closure to give people a chance to come ride it one last time.

[@SpiderWaffle]

If they replace it with a GIGA it should try to be the most thrilling GIGA yet but still great for GP. Should go after Steve's airtime record, but with mostly floater, have some near inverting floating wave turns, a reasonable outterbank with light ejector, maybe an inversion like a low to the ground 90mph Mosasoras Roll or whippy zero-G roll like on Flight Deck or the world's longest floating stall. So many ways a GIGA could be way better than any of the big coasters out there, including Falcon's Flight.

[@Hhhhhhhh46784]

Hey Ryan! Have you ever considered uploading the audio from your videos to Spotify, Apple, etc in podcast form? Idk if that is possible but I’d love to listen more while I’m at work!

[@F7COASTERS]

When you talk about roller coasters most people know about kingda ka it’s basically Great Adventure Icon. This isn’t like TTD at Cedar point Gadv doesn’t have multiple legendary class coasters to draw people. If the new Cedar fair executives can’t get off their high horse with intamin to retrofit kingda ka. Hershey park seems to be a better choice than this dying park.

[@InfinitePlaylist909]

Thank you for citing your sources!

[@stowebrunso407]

How his source would lose his job nitwit

[@CoasterSn00p]

When its launch cable snapped last year and put Ka down for a week right after Toro's long downtime, I frantically nabbed a plane and made it to SFGAdv for the first time. At the time it seemed like both rides' days were numbered, with Death knocking on Ka's door particularly, and no way was I gonna let that opportunity go by. It's sad to hear I might've been right about Ka, but I feel so lucky to have ridden it now. There's truly nothing else on the planet like it ( _anymore_ ). Here's to hoping SFGAdv gets a real stunner for a replacement, like a B&M Giga.

[@user-pl5ds8iz6q]

So they're apparently going to get rid of two of their headlining, record breaking attractions that have nothing wrong with them to save money on maintainence? Saving them a supposed 1 million per year? Then they have to spend at least 50 million plus on a new attraction/s not to mention the cost of removal... So in conclusion to save 1 million theyre going to spend 50 million plus. The math aint mathing

[@JJJJ-he8bz]

And green Lantern on top of that.

[@TheTypicalGameMaster]

Nooooo it’s the only strata with a hydraulic launch

[@massachusettscoasters]

It would be a huge shame if strata hydraulic launch coaster goes extinct

[@SonnyHorrocks]

They are slowly removing hydraulic launches it’s sad and compressed air launches as well and replacing them with lsm it’s horrible now all of our fave rides are slowly going so gotta ride them quick

[@massachusettscoasters]

thrust air launches are the one type of launch coasters that are officially extinct because one of the reasons the 2021 accident on Do-Dodonpa in Japan when people bones broke even they followed the ride rules

[@Random_Eebs]

@@massachusettscoastersmaxx force is operating just fine

[@tigerrocks503]

@@Random_EebsWhile Maxx definitely has its issues when it opened. It’s been able to work out the kinks. It can be fickle still sometimes but it has been way more reliable then when it opened.

[@matheuscastello6554]

posted this on coaster studios's video and reposting here since it sums up my thoughts very well: so a lot of the rumors talk about replacing this with another 400ft tall coaster, right? usually the mack xtreme spinner shuttle we saw. i just don't understand in which universe that's a better decision!! - while mack are reliable, they have yet to make a coaster that tall, and their current tallest coaster, hyperia, did have some issues upon opening - but let's say you full trust mack, fair enough! can't you just trust THEM to lsm kingda ka instead of zamperla? the tt2 issue was because of zamperla's inexperience, not because refurbing a strata is impossible. - another thing to note is that likely zumanjaro would go too! doesn't it just make more sense to make use of the parts of ka ALREADY there which AREN'T problematic, i.e. trackwork and supports, and build upon that? instead of demolishing a whole 400ft tall coaster to build a brand new 400ft coaster and throwing out the worlds tallest drop tower along the way? this isn't a disagreement with you, sarah and taylor, it's a disagreement with the philosophy of the new merged six flags company, if this all turns out to be true after all, which i don't doubt, but strongly hope isn't. they'd be making a disservice to their legacy as an amusement park chain, dare i say, by tearing down ka and zumanjaro. i REALLY hope they just refurb it and ofc, if they just take it down without a worthy replacement, i think that's gonna leave gigantic gap in this park's ride lineup, for locals and tourists that were used to / expecting a 400ft coaster, and i don't think that will bode well for their numbers.

[@plighting_engineerd]

Ooo right at the same time as Coaster studios! Look forward to seeing what you have to share

[@josiahsimmons9866]

Coincidence? I think not! /j

[@bassjasinski]

Cedar Fair should call General Atomics and have them change the launch system to an EMALS

[@PruneJuice100]

Kingda Ka was the rollercoaster that got me to start caring about coasters back when I was around 11. It was always the bucket list ride, the world record holder. It was my favorite for years, all the way until I went on it in 2019. It was raining the day I went, so it had closed for a while because of weather, and I remember the guy at the control panel basically told me and my brother to not waste our time in the station and go on other rides because it would be a while. Eventually, we came back when it was open, and there was something so surreal about fulfilling a childhood dream (granted I was 13, but still). In my mind, Ka is the definitive rollercoaster. It has a vibe that is unparalleled, and while it's world record won't be around for much longer, there's something special for a park to say that they had the former world record holder, and the current continental record holder. As Akio Toyoda said about the Lexus LFA, it was a halo car that was valuable for the rest of the company (by showing "hey, we can make this really cool car!" it makes people think higher of your normal production models), even if it didn't sell well. It may be expensive to operate, but when people think of Six Flags Great Adventure, they think "Oh, that's the park with Kingda Ka!" Removing it would be a truly terrible decision. Even if they close it disassembling it should be a crime. Them coming out and saying that they just can't afford it and it could kill the whole park could limit the reputational damage, but in that case, they should leave the physical coaster there as a monument to the past and to the history of the park (and leave the potential for reopening if they could figure out a way to make it more reliable).

[@joshuabrown3525]

Meanwhile, at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, the Big Bad Wolf is returning in 2025 during the Parks 50th anniversary.

[@christopherzehnder]

That was another epic f*ck-up. Removing Big Bad Wolf. The replacement coaster Verboten is great, but Wolf was another iconic ride that deserved re-imagining. Glad the fans got their way on naming the new coaster.

[@rockintylerj9349]

I got to go on Xcelerator at Knotts, and barley missed Top Thrill Dragster by a year. And now King da ka might be closing? I was hoping I could get out there and ride it, but now it's not looking so good...

[@gunsmoke132]

Me personally I feel like it would be really cool to see kingda Ka have its layout expanded whether that's with lsm's powering it or hydraulic launch. It obviously still has a whole bunch of kinetic energy by time it finishes the top hat even if the added lsms along the ride to make it a really big long coaster similar to velocicoaster that would be a amazing experience and I think would be bigger than the current version of kingda Ka ever was.

[@tdubb3254]

Man I’d like to get out there someday before they remove it, but idk if that’ll ever happen. At least I got to ride the original Top Thrill though

[@sirbossk]

Aw man, when I heard the rumors I was ready to plan a trip to Great Adventure from SoCal next year just to ensure that I could get on this ride before it closes. But if they close it this season I just plain won't have the time to book a trip. If this is true, I REALLY hope they give us ample notice.

[@constable012]

If they were to do anything, I believe the best case scenario would be Intamin LSM with extended layout, possibly using that Green Lantern plot. I would have to believe they could do without swing launch especially given the vertical LSMs they make now. Kind of what a lot of people wanted before details came out on top thrill 2.

[@SpiderWaffle]

The most crucial part is the state of the track. TT2 was getting precise 3D scanning of the whole track. It could be deformed too much in too many areas and might need a lot of retracking if the track is to be re-used for a reimagined ride.

[@Blood_Bones]

Before I moved, Six Flags Great Adventure was the "local" theme park and Kingda Ka was the *only* ride I was too afraid to ride. Eventually I just stopped going and one day I want to go back to Jersey and ride it.

[@TrueLies23]

Sounds to me like a major issue has come up that will need addressed inevitably and now its about how long the ride will last until they can retrofit it with an LSM if that is in fact an option.

[@sedricgranger]

So happy I just went to the park for the first time and got my coaster credits for Kingda Ka and Green Lantern!

[@stephenf8840]

I was born and raised in North New Jersey but I don’t live in New Jersey anymore but I always thought Great Adventure was a prime location amusement park close to NYC and Philly. That being said I rode Kink Da Ka a few times when it first came out (once in the first row) and it would be a shame if it’s removed. I haven’t been to GA in over ten years but I do miss it.

[@Paolo8772]

I'm glad I got one front row ride, after two back row rides. Wish my 2nd back row ride was a front row ride but the line was too long and I didn't want to risk the ride going down. The difference between the front and back makes all the difference between an elite ride and a bad ride.

[@YouTubestopsharingmyrealname]

Lsm with a switcher perhaps? If they rework it, they really need to increase throughput

[@zachjones2346]

I LOVE LSM lift hills like Maverick. If you make a giga coaster with a really fast LSM lift hill, that would be super fun. Even the vertical launch coasters by Intamin are sweet looking.

[@coasteremocoasters9635]

I love what you said about extending and at the very least I would LOVE that. I just imagine Ka with a swing launch and massive spike and then extending the layout to basically a giga coaster. That would be amazing. That would the only thing I would accept about change or “removal” of this ride. But this coaster is so iconic man. Like I get it. Business, maintenance, cost, all that. But damn 😢

[@AG7-MTM]

I hope that at the very least, Formula Rossa is given an LSM launch, which may allow for the removal of the trim brakes (and the launch extending up the hill where those trims were if possible). It's essentially a super-sized mirror clone of ThunderVolt's layout

[@caffeinatedtrouble]

ACE needs to Coaster Landmark this ASAP

[@hellowill]

Yeah I'm from New Zealand, wanted to ride this since I was a kid. Finally planning a US trip for 2025 or 2026, hope this isn't closed lmao.

[@christopherzehnder]

I hope you get to make the trip. Ka’s an amazing ride. Nothing else like it

[@stickskinny1266]

I live 6.5 hours from great adventure and have yet to max the journey. I’d be heartbroken if I never get to ride because they never do a formal last day. I would absolutely be trying to drive my way over there if I’m given even a couple weeks heads up.

[@soylentbob6725]

I hope they don't remove it before I get a chance to ride it once!

[@Danrarbc]

I’d plan on rushing a visit out there then.

[@m1lk0meda]

six flags is making their flagship parks magic mountain, canada's wonderland, and cedar point. Kinda ka competes with TT2. They want to drive traffic to the destination cedar point, and making only one kind of record coaster there will help their strategy.

[@R.I.PDanny]

I went to six flags (my first ever six flags) back in 2021 I was lucky/ unlucky with King da ka. Lucky I was able to ride it. Unlucky because the car in front of us had a roll back. I’m gonna try to make a trip from FL back up next year hopefully it’s still open.

[@COASTER_CHASER_1]

I still think that the plan was to potentially give it a similar treatment as TT2 but also extend the layout into the green lantern plot. They could have closed Green Lantern and removed it in the off season will opening up Ka to start the season then close it for the refresh mid summer and have it ready for the following season. But the issues with TT2 have ether canceled or put that idea on hold. While they make that final decision I feel KingDa Ka will go to a SBNO until the decision is made.

[@supramusng]

I will happily NEVER step foot in this plummeting park again if this ride is removed. L on all sides, don't care.

[@danamarie2970]

SAME.

[@Themeparkanxiety]

What if they build a giga in its place?

[@billchief397]

Cool

[@bimblebobble4438]

They could always build a replacement…

[@TheNitroNomad]

Bye.

[@ThrillsofColdplay]

The park could loose a lot of guests I would hope that won’t happen though

[@HockeyGUY66871]

My guess is it gets the TT2 treatment however Intamin does it instead of Zamperla. Either that, or it gets a new hydraulic launch from Gerstlauer like Xcelerator got. I just cant see them removing Ka entirely

[@PhillyMadeCris]

I heard a gigga coaster might be where kingda ka will be

[@woody71692]

Six flags is high on a kingda ka removal honeymoon rumor right now. And they are LOVING the spotlight

[@bearclaw5115]

I don't really buy maintenance costs for a possible closure. Those costs are much lower than the capital costs of a new major ride and they likely haven't changed much over time, meaning why now? There is a high likely hood of this being an internet rumor getting passed around. The ride probably has a useful life of 5-10 more years. I see no reason for them to be in a rush to get rid of a paid-off major attraction. It would be smart of them to let the TT2 situation get played out before deciding the fate of this coaster. Keep'r going!

[@Amerigo3356]

Removal would be very very stupid. Now that Top Thrill no longer uses the hydraulic launch system. I think this ride will still hold up. Nothing like a hydro launch in my opinion. Yea, the repair cost would be the killer of the ride unfortunately. No matter how popular

[@gladiatorgaminginfo5053]

Six flags could be a huge park. I kinda wish they had the capitol like Disney or universal to make a huge 1200 acre park filled with more thrilling roller coasters rides similar to universal. There’s so much surrounding land around the area, obviously it would be a challenge to acquire the land but it will be awesome to have a flag ship mega park right here in nj

[@Jask17]

Got on today 3 times ! Gonna miss this beauty. Seems the rumors were flying

[@kddkdkykdkdkf5817]

Desert race in Heide Park Germany is working well and reliable since 2007. But it's only accelerating up to 60mph

[@JerseyKevin]

I would be SHOCKED if it closed in 2024. I think we get an announcement in February that 2025 is the last season for Ka and Lanturn. You’re right, they need a plan before closing 2 major attractions. A true on site hotel and new coaster would be huge for this park

[@paulflorio]

I think they might pull something out of left field and go to Intamin for a refit like they did with ttd at first. I’m still kind of thinking they are closing KK “as we know it”. kk will be redone, green lantern removed and KK extended into the plot of land

[@averyrizzolo9082]

Convert it to a swing launch already!

[@StevenNeidlein]

Gonna miss ka man i love this coaster one of my favorites even though it's a short ride man this sucks and knowing it's gonna be gone forever is just gut wrenching

[@usablefiber]

Kingda ka is absolutely my favorite ride there. The thrill of that launch and then the view at the top…. There really is nothing like it. I could lap it all day. Im just glad I didn’t renew my season pass for next year until we know…. The only option that would satiate me somewhat would be a launching giga but more complete ride. But even then man it would suck.

[@grandjohn]

Theory: If Kingda Ka were to go, I believe that in some way they wouldn't just tear it down. With it being 400+ ft tall, and Zumanjaro on the structure, and the fact on how iconic the ride is, I think its staying in some way or form. Either a spike, or extended layout will be added, and the launch is of course replaced with lsms. I don't see any other option. Since the trains were refurbished recently I usually would assume that it would be sticking around for another few good years, but when you have people like El Toro Ryan being uncertain, its definitely concerning.

[@sprawlz6466]

This ride is literally the reason I became a coaster enthusiast. I will be so sad if I don’t get another chance to ride it before it closes

[@sirfunkydangle7804]

What if kingda ka closes but isn't removed and the re-imagining isn't even mentioned... BUT, with the removal of green lantern and the other flat rides, what if kingda ka gets an lsm launch and a layout extension into the green lantern area. Or perhaps a second lsm launch into a second new inverted tophat. And intamin should do it.

[@ChrisCcron10]

After watching the documentary you posted last night it reminded me of another reason why we don't see these 400ft+ coasters anymore: the height itself made it a extremely slow process to be able to complete the top hat in the environment it's in. Flacon's Flight likely didn't really suffer much from this as it is in a desert. I kind of viewed Kingda Ka as being more reliable than Dragster as Intamin probably learned a few things to make it run for efficiently, but that said you can only run something that goes 128mph for so long and 20 years is a good run. I could either see it being removed or modified, but with the management learning from their mistakes from TT2 and going back with Intamin, completely removing the station, adding a back spike, and extending the layout. Removing the coaster would probably be costly as it would be challenging building it... or they could topple it over into the nearby parking lot. I definitely see Green Lantern going somewhere else in the company and getting floorless trains.

[@markdaniels2123]

Green Lantern is likely going elsewehere with new trains - either floorless or conventional trains. My guess is it would go to Valley Fair or Michigan Adventures or Darien Lake or Great Escape

[@raisedbybatz]

as a coaster community already lost top thrill dragster this is tragic if it goes. Hope it stays

[@AlisonBirbz]

I'd be sad to see Ka go, & would love to see an LSM convert with an extended layout. IMO It would be a better marketing move considering how KA is such a well known coaster outside of the enthusiast community. Hell, Ka and TTD end of the coaster wars was the reason I became so interested as a kid and why I'm an enthusiast today.

[@CaptainCorkscrew]

I think that while removal woooould make sense, it also doesn’t make sense since it’s so iconic globally. It was the whole reason I went to GAd this summer. I think they should try and preserve Ka as much as possible. It’s a global draw and from a business standpoint that makes it very profitable. They also now have all of the donor parts from dragster. I’m hoping that it does close but just to make the coaster much more reliable and cost efficient. Adding lsms while keeping the height could work since most of the public wouldn’t notice. I’m not reading into any of this until the park makes soemthing official…

[@CCA_]

I’m sure if Kingda Ka was pretty profitable Six Flags wouldn’t think about it. It’s not like Six Flags would remove a North American record break because they feel like it. Also I’m pretty sure dragster’s parts went to Xcelerator.