Evidence of Kingda Ka's Closure Before the Announcement

[@mulinhuan8410]

I’ve been so sad over the past week for losing such an iconic and special ride but I’ve been feeling better since thinking about it this way: Ka was never dethroned as the tallest coaster in the world. He was born as the King of coasters and he died as the King of coasters. Never in Ka’s career was he NOT the tallest and I find that strangely comforting.

[@squillz8310]

I hadn't thought of that. Regardless of the unceremonious and sudden closure, Ka served millions of people one of the most thrilling experiences on this planet. His legacy will never be forgotten.

[@jamesliu7970]

And since Formula Rossa has been SBNO this year, Ka also opened as the world's fastest coaster, and closed as the world's fastest coaster.

[@zanzabar4ky7]

@@jamesliu7970 Should Rossa even count? It does not go over any elements faster than KA. It accelerates up to speed on flat, then hits the brakes to go slower than KA. That is like counting the height for Superman at MM that hangs over the cliff and is not interacted with as part of the ride. That is like if Defiance at Glenwood ran a support rope to the bottom and was a 2k foot coaster or high roller.

[@leeirwindrums2765]

Long live the king!

[@beck4283]

Also, they reported that we can expect a "multi-record breaking" coaster coming eventually, excited to see if they maybe are just trying to overhaul & renovate most of the park, which would be cool!

[@derailedcoasters]

Man, the Blue Train sitting the way it did in the station visible to the public's eye in that state, it spoke VOLUMES. Even before the markings appeared, I saw that as a direct message that something was going to happen. It's very unfortunate about the Zumanjaro situation halting Ka from running through HITP unfortunately.

[@NickyD]

doesnt mean anything since magnum sometimes looks like that durning the summer if a train has a issue

[@therevolutionwillnotbeyoutubed]

HITP?

[@majorcheese2345]

@@therevolutionwillnotbeyoutubedholiday in the park

[@samsaek666]

I mean I get that it was expensive to operate but it should’ve been treated as a loss leader. It’s such an iconic ride, the name itself is one of those things that even non-enthusiasts know it by name. It was one of the defining features of that six flags

[@OptimusSubPr1me]

It was a pretty big loss. I was hearing $3 million per year. That's enormous.

[@MelodyMattison]

@@OptimusSubPr1meIs that public information anywhere that can be confirmed? Just wondering, not saying you’re wrong.

[@mikeyp916]

​@@OptimusSubPr1meI heard between $2-$3 per rider. Assuming that's true, At about 600k riders per year (12M over 20 seasons), you could be pretty close on that figure.

[@Tahngarthor]

The loss leader concept would only work with a model like at a park like Koenobel's (sp?), where the normal method of operation is pay-per-ride rather than pay for park entrance. Otherwise, the only additional income any ride can drive is merch sales relating to that ride.

[@MelodyMattison]

@@Tahngarthor I wonder if people would pay to ride it like Slingshot etc. Maybe once a year, but not every visit.

[@jenniek3576]

“Cedar Fair…I mean Six Flags” 😆 quite literally sums up everything I’ve been feeling about the abrupt and secretive closure of Kingda Ka, ZumanJaro and the other 4 rides.

[@billkeithchannel]

I've still never forgiven Cedar Fair for closing Geauga Lake and making KI Racer trains both face forward.

[@dragonmyr]

I think Kingda Ka would have continued to operate if Cedar Fair and Six Flags stayed separate. I still haven't forgiven Cedar Fair for failing to maintain and suddenly closing Volcano too.

[@pharaohflame315]

@@billkeithchannel Cedar proceeded to do the same to Rebel Yell at KD (Now Racer 75, not calling it that ever)

[@garygsp3]

​@@billkeithchannelDude Geauga Lake was a joke. Lived in Ohio for 30 years before moving away 14 years ago. In all that time I went to Geauga Lake 1 time. Geauga Lake was like Cedar Points little kid brother who was good at nothing and was always in the way. Ohio had Cedar Point, Kings Island and Geauga Lake. No one... No One Went to Geauga Lake. When Sea World left THAT was what killed Geauga Lake. Suddenly there was no reason to go at all. So no one did.

[@billkeithchannel]

@@garygsp3 It's a matter of perspective. My homepark is Waldameer so GLP was a fun park with lots to do and ride. I grew up with my family taking us to Conneaut Lake Park once or twice a year but in 1978 when I was 13, I talked my parents into going to Aurora instead which was the second year of the Double Loop. Phenomenal time and that was our new family tradition. I never got out to CP until I was 18 or 19 when my buddy and I went and since then went back several times. I think I have been to KI only 4 or 5 times (1999 was the last time and we spent 3 days there). Last CP visit was 2004. What was great about Geauga is that you actually got to ride rides instead of spending most of the day in a queue line like CP. CP really needs to be a two-day event and that was back in the 80's to early 2000's where they had half of the coasters they have now.

[@TheLovelyMudkip]

I saw a few videos on tiktok of people wondering HOW roller coaster enthusiasts could have known the ride was closing before any hint of an announcement. You all pay a ton of attention to ride ops for fun, makes sense you all would notice things were different eventually

[@jaball77]

I feel like the Corporate Overlords dictated there would be no official announcement, but the local park management disagreed and left the partially disassembled train out in public view as a message to fans...

[@toyoracer33]

Actually I'm pretty sure that the park officials used the KZbinrs to get the word out while remaining anonymous. I don't think that leaks came from the rank and file. I think they came from higher up.

[@markdaniels2123]

@@toyoracer33 Yes most employees never even knew for sure. Some of the employees were the last to know. Most I talked to heard the same rumors and found out the way we did. They found out for sure Wednesday Night before the press release at a meeting on zoom and in person I am told. Still we all wondered until it was announced but evidence was sent out. Zumanjaro seemed to be another reason - for closing the whole thing. The decision I think evolved and was not made in one step. BY the middle of September it was reopening all of next year and by late September it was thought to be closing mid summer 2025 - but by mid October issues caused things to evolve to just closing it altogether at the end of normal operational season which was NOvember 10 - But the decision seemed to evolve and by the time they made announcements this is where we wound up. Still they could have done much better. The disassembled train says almost nothing on the surface. Trains on coasters get disassembled all the time and those coasters don't close and get removed or torn down. Only if someone understands how the coaster is maintained would understand like that El Toro Ryan or whatever he calls himself guy. Now he would and does see things we cannot in these actions.

[@zekewalker1350]

Very possible corporate wasn’t going to pay to take the partially disassembled train out in the first place and had no idea that it would be a signal to fans. I think corporate is just cheap & lazy. Though there is a good chance they told them to cover the train with a tarp and management decided not to to make the message clear.

[@toyoracer33]

@zekewalker1350 It wouldn't cost them anything to roll the train into the storage shed and hide it from view

[@rvegasguy_5216]

Kamala voters

[@maaltagabriel]

Six Flags dropped the ball. HARD. And the worst part is that it's not legacy SF's fault. It was corporate legacy Cedar Fair who called the shots

[@CR2Creative]

Yeah they had no business even talking about Great Adventure imo its a Six Flags Legacy park not a Cedar Fair legacy park they should of worried about Top Thrill 2 and minded their own business on the better coaster Kingda Ka

[@Fay7666]

They should've been concerned about them both. It's not like because they're not competing against each other anymore that they had to get rid of one.

[@dukezap1]

I mean there's a reason Six Flags requested Cedar Fair take over leadership. Cedar Fair knows how to properly run a company. Six Flags was not doing nearly as well financially as CF, and now CF has to 'correct' SF's mistakes. Don't forget Six Flags has declared Bankruptcy in the past.

[@AVdE10000]

This honestly gave me a lot of respect for pre-merger Six Flags for up keeping a ride that's apparently such a headache that Cedar Fair would drop it first opportunity they'd get

[@Michael-sb8jf]

Random thought With kingda ka operating under a cedar fair umbrella the ride was now to expensive to insure

[@thegentleman5409]

The way this whole thing was handled was an absolute slap in the face to the loyal customers of Great Adventure. A company that wants to do wrong by its customers doesn’t deserve my business so I’m not going there next summer.

[@MakBot]

Same.

[@znul]

its not the park’s fault

[@AVdE10000]

I'd say it's an even bigger slap in the face to the non-regulars. I never got my credit on Ka, and now I never will...

[@markdaniels2123]

@@znul The people at the park did not even know for sure - 98 % of the employees did not know for sure. Some did not care and had nothing to do with Kingda Ka..say a good third of them. The remaining found out the way we did and heard the same rumors and saw the same evidence if they even worked near it for evidence at least. Some of them were the last to know. I would say only a couple top executives that worked on park level knew for sure and for them the decision was evolving and they were watching it evolve. I do not think final decisions were made until close to Halloween. Another problem someone pointed out was the coaster was one big breakdown from closing for an extended period. Had they announced as soon as they found out who was to say it may not have broken down before November? Also with Volcano at Kings Dominion also unnannounced - it broke down on its own in spring 2018 - Was closed long term at mu July visit that year - and in the fall they announced it was damaged beyond repair and would not be reopening. So that could have been a way to close this as well. I think they were looking to reopen it next year and just let it break down one day and close it for an extended period and then announce its GONE....That could have happened as well. This happened with Chiller in 2007 and that took 5 other rides with it and a whole area which did not reopen till 2017

[@TravisNewton1]

This is Cedar Fair’s MO. Look at how they closed Geauga Lake.

[@MaloneysCoasters]

Thank you Ryan for your efforts to inform enthusiasts of what was coming, and I'm sorry for any disrespect you endured from those who didn't believe you. Your content is consistently informative and insightful. As for Kingda Ka, I'm devastated as an overseas enthusiast that this means that, with little warning, I have now officially missed my chance to ride either of the strata Accelerators. The decision-making from the Six Flags/Cedar Fair executives to close such a high-profile and beloved attraction without giving guests a chance to take last rides is baffling to me, and even with the explanation you've provided, I still don't quite understand how they came to that decision. Long live the king, and here's hoping that whatever "record-breaking launch coaster" is taking its place will not just be some gimmicky record, but an actually world-class coaster that might help ease the pain of this tremendous loss.

[@lsp6032]

For the GP, the only acceptable record to break for ka replacement would have to be(or even must be) the tallest fastest and longest coaster in all of Western hemisphere, period. no gimmicks nor any other weird record(maybe the fastest inversion is some of the exceptions given the >160km/h speed coming down the top hat), just a coaster second only to falcon flight in scale and magnitude with the fastest single roller coaster launch

[@Usastrong1123]

With the amount of space they have to work with , they might as well bring the worlds tallest coaster record back to the good old USA

[@thomashatchett4190]

Thank you so much for all that you (and other enthusiasts) did to spread awareness of the rumors. As someone whose home park is KD yet got into coasters too late to ride Volcano, I will always be sure to do what I can to ride a coaster before it closes down. Thanks to y’all, I was able to drive to GA for only the second time in my life to get a few more rides on Ka the Saturday before it closed! Please know that your publicizing the rumors was THE reason for this trip (which was one of my favorite park days ever). Thank you and keep doing the work you do!

[@collinparsons3363]

I honestly don't see any reason to return to Great Adventure anytime soon. They botched the 50th Anniversary in ways I couldn't even think were possible, and they've already been going downhill for years. Whether it's running rides at half capacity with one train and ultra slow operations, rides closed, broken, or delayed for reasons under the park's control, failure to complete off-season projects even close to schedule, tight-lipped and delayed communication practices, serious food and beverage deficiencies, reduced operating hours, lack of consistent and transparent pricing, and now, closure and demolition of not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, but six rides all at once, including their star attraction, the product they have settled on simply isn't worth it anymore. I'm disgusted with what the park has become. If I am ever to return, then they will need to rebuild the park's ride lineup, resolve all of the operational deficiencies, and start running it like a world class, destination theme park that it has all the potential to be, despite being kneecapped by awful corporate management over the last 15+ years.

[@markdaniels2123]

I said much of this above - Hershey is 5 times the park this is - Hershey had 2 Woodies - A steel woodie on a wood frame - an Intamin Hyper - an old classic looper - a renovated boomerang (the new trains make this a decent ride), an Intamin Dive Machine, a mini Kingda Ka (cant compare but still good ride), skyrides, three drop towers, and a ton of classic old rides - NONE OF WHICH GREAT ADVENTURE HAS - Hershey also has most of the good stuff GReat Adventure has - B & M Inverted (better than Batman clones), Mine Train (also better than GA), Nitro type coaster (comparable to GA), a couple Juniors (GA are a bit better). The only things missing are a Floorless which DOrney has and a rail raptor which we do not even miss at Hershey. So Hershey is far better - plus their waterpark not as good as Hurricane but included in teh park makes up for that fact. Far nicer and better run pace

[@therussianyetishow1238]

NGL I fully plan on going for the credits next year and never going again

[@bravo795mp]

@@therussianyetishow1238I stopped going 3 years ago, dropped my season pass. I decided to go to hurricane harbor this summer… what a total nightmare; and the staff said it was a REALLY slow day.

[@jefryhardy1140]

I had more fun riding the coasters on the Wildwood Boardwalk this summer than I did in any trip to Six Flags throughout the last year. That’s a big problem…

[@ThemeParkAvenue]

The lack of an announcement still makes little sense if not even less based on the fact that the ride was expensive. If money is the issue, why wouldn’t they encourage people to visit the park before Ka closed for the sake of getting a little extra dough?

[@googleprofiel6814]

I can see why one would not want to put a specific end of life date on a maintenance heavy/fragile to keep open ride. Because if you say it would run intil the 5th of november, and it breaks down in the middle of october and would cost a lot of money to fiks it, it's better to keep it going until it gives it's ghost. The enthousiasts travelling there after the closure would also be mad at you for not reopening it then.

[@markdaniels2123]

@@googleprofiel6814 I stated something similar above - back in 2007 Chiller broke down and was deemed to be damaged beyond economic repair - stayed closed - that fall was torn down UNNANNOUNCED along with MOvietown Water Ride, Freefall, and three other small rides closing an entire area of teh park for 10 years. They announced Chiller closing as it was being torn down. We wind up getting Dark Knight in place of 6 rides in 2008 and Justice League in 2018 where CHiller was - NOT WORTHY replacements - Except for Jersey Devil and Zum - we got second and third rate rides - some needed - you do need these as fill in stuff - a couple came and went - but for major things kiddie Dark Knight - worn out Chang/Lantern - junky Joker - a few decent flats - kiddie Justice League - So all kids rides, junky coasters, and a couple big flats - Then we get above average Jersey Devil FINALLY - and hopefully above average FLASH - So this park is not nearly what it should be at its size - Hershey is tons better - We also need a real wooden coaster - El Toro alone does not do it....We also need a drop down ride - also another water ride - also a giga coaster bigger than Nitro - Also a worthy replaement for KA added to the list. I am disgusted with this park.

[@KoolKoasters8764]

Unfortunately I never got to experience this coaster, but from what I heard, it was a hell of a coaster. Long live the king!

[@markdaniels2123]

I rode it over 150 times - a bit rough - moody at times - sometimes a real body banger --- but the mystique made up for its faults - loved it in spite of its painfulness - sometimes it was smooth and a great ride as well - really depended on the mood of the ride - this thing had an attitude - ALSO SUCH SARCASM - LONG LIVE THE KING - Sadly it seems the opposite is true...But hey sarcasm is a way of coping I guess

[@KoolKoasters8764]

@ true, even though it will not be living on in the real world, it will be living on in the memories and hearts of many, potentially millions of people worldwide.

[@Usastrong1123]

Bumpy in the back, pretty smooth in the front and feels like your face is being peeled off, long live the king

[@danamarie2970]

THIS. So sad. I kept trying to explain to others there was a "read the room"-type situation surrounding Ka with things like this. I got told I was being overly dramatic and "believing anything I see on the internet". When in reality I just had my eyes peeled and read the writing on the wall. Thanks so much for this video. I heard Zumi was struck by lightning and it ceased ops ever since. Didn't realize that's part of what hindered Ka from continuing its ops. I'm so sad; I know we all are. :(.

[@InFiniTosEntertainment]

What pisses me off the most is that Cedar Fair told influencers like you to not spread rumors and speculation, but if you hadn't then we would have completely missed all warnings and nobody would have been able to plan last rides at all. I have no idea what they're planning to put in its place but I highly doubt it will pack anything close to the same punch.

[@jonathandpg6115]

you mean six flags?

[@captainteemo520]

@@jonathandpg6115Cedar Fairs owns six flags now after the merger

[@tedansley]

​@@jonathandpg6115 Call it what you want, but Cedar Fair stockholders hold the majority and controls the board so I think CF is more accurate.

[@elixier33]

.... This was at 6 flags no?

[@Spike-sk7ql]

This new "superchain" is NOT starting off on a good foot. The way they handled this is disgusting.

[@eddie3374]

never likes the idea of them merging all it did was create a monopoly in the thrill seeker world of amusement parks

[@Spike-sk7ql]

@eddie3374 I mean.... "technically" not a monopoly,...... but I'd say they hold a super mojority in the industry, simply from volume. I've already had to deal with the cold side of cedar fair decisions. My home park was Geauga Lake. Cedar fair bought it off of six flags, then closed it. Told everyone they were closing the park for good the day after closing day for the park. No warning. A park that has a representative at the park every day is a better run park than a park that is ran by a faceless corporation, from Atlanta now.... not even headquartered in Sandusky anymore. As crap, now I'm ranting like some old guy😂

[@therussianyetishow1238]

@@Spike-sk7qlI mean lets be real… it’s basically a monopoly. Let’s make no mistake here they have their own slice of the entertainment/theme park cake large enough to still be considered the cake. We just don’t like the idea of these companies actually being corporations that do unethical things like… immediately forming into monopolies at the earliest opportunity and prioritizing profits over everything else. God bless regulation or they’d be cutting costs on safety too.

[@SunnylandProds]

5:33 “but doing so probably didn’t look good on an excel spreadsheet.” Can’t wait to see their attendance numbers plummet next year. They deserve it.

[@visionist7]

Sadly I fear the GP aren't gonna care 😔

[@SunnylandProds]

@ that’s exactly why their attendance numbers are gonna plummet, because the GP don’t give a crap about how much their maintenance costs. All the GP sees is that Great Adventure randomly closed the world’s tallest coaster completely without warning. This is gonna leave a bad taste in locals’ mouths for YEARS. Such a horrible way for Cedar Fair to begin their run of ownership of this park.

[@historypeep0965]

I respect El Toro Ryan for his coverage on King Da Ka. By the time this hit my radar as a busy student I wasn't able to get up there till last Sunday. I wasn't into coasters during Top Thrill Dragster so I've missed both og stratas. Ngl I am pretty bummed about not ever riding Ka but not much I can do i guess.

[@samanthal8287]

I feel the same way. I was one of the last riders on original dragster but only got on it once. And I never got to ride Ka. I saw Ryan’s video but was too busy to travel all that way. Pretty bummed as well, all I can hope for is maybe they can replace it with something also incredible and iconic.

[@Musicalcoasters96]

I'll never forget watching the National Geographic (I think?) Doc on this ride with my dad, me talking about all the coaster innovations before they were mentioned and my dad fascinated at the height and speed. Kingda Ka will live in my dreams only unfortunately, not my credits.

[@QBallTech]

It's Geauga Lake all over again. It's not like the first time that Cedar Fair has done something like this before. I wonder if that was I hate Torres clue that was left by maintenance as a way of saying the rides closure is imminent and happening soon since they left that train sitting there like that.

[@calebmoritz4625]

I WILL NEVER FORGET HOW THEY DID OUR KING. I can sympathize with the large operating expenses but the lack of communication from the new Six Flags was truly insulting. I'm not stepping foot into Great Adventure for all of next season until they give us a TRULY VALID replacement, and that standard is pretty damn high!

[@DAcubsfan2]

i live in the midwest and ive had great adventure on my radar of parks to check out for years, and after dragster had its issue, i knew i needed to get out there sooner rather than later. unfortunately now i dont think ill be making the trip. el toro looks awesome, but that alone isnt enough. they definitely need something groundbreaking to fill ka's shoes

[@CR2Creative]

Cedar Fair is still mad from the coaster wars from 2005. They want garbage Top Thrill Dumpster to hold the record that ride sucks its been sitting abandoned for years the structure is rotted and no good and it will never have that glory again no atter what Top Thrill 2 has been a disaster so theyre taking their anger out on Kingda Ka. Kingda Kas structure is good since it always got its yearly maintenance and they’re just trying to destroy Six Flags Great Adventure.

[@alexanderkvenvolden4067]

If you're angry about how PR handled the announcement of Ka's closure, you're still not angry enough. Even until the very end I had some possibility in my mind that it wasn't so, simply because leaving the GP with literally nothing but rumors to prepare for it's closure is so outrageously bad that it's hard to think they would do it. Well they did.

[@Peter_9_9_9]

@@CR2Creative i am doubtful that is the case it was likely due to the cost to actually give it the tt2 treatment since they wouldn't be going with zamperla instead they would go with Intamin but going with Intamin comes with a significantly higher cost one that likely turned Cedar Fair away from doing it so I am really doubtful that it was done out of resentment like many of the executives from the 2000's specifically 2003-2005 aren't there anymore and removing Ka while it will destroy this park Cedar Fair is going to have to come out swinging in 2026

[@Brandon-qd2lb]

You don’t want another shuttle coaster with long lines??

[@AmazedBunion]

This is exactly why I said the cedar Fair merger was a terrible thing to happen for six flags

[@Themeparkanxiety]

Please... The old Six Flags was going to let you ride that thing until it killed someone

[@MichaelRei99]

You were dead on!!

[@MichaelRei99]

@@Themeparkanxietyhow does Cedar Fairs balls taste?

[@DAcubsfan2]

@@Themeparkanxiety you mean like cedar fair almost did? oh wait

[@Themeparkanxiety]

@@DAcubsfan2 or Six Flags almost did with El Toro? Uh huh...

[@phillyfan2113]

It has been a while now that King da Ka has been rumored to close. It was kinda obvious that it was closing because of how Zumanjaro has been closed all year long. I think that the new coaster is going to be a decent fit for great adventure, but it will never be the same or as iconic as king da ka once was. It's hard to believe that right now Nitro is the park's longest and fastest coaster. Long live the king.

[@TheNitroNomad]

Nitro has been the longest coaster in the park since it opened. El Toro coming in at #2.

[@phillyfan2113]

@@TheNitroNomad My bad, meant to say tallest and fastest now that king da ka is closing.

[@markdaniels2123]

YOU CALL THAT A WHILE???? 6 days is not that long. This decision evolved quickly from late Auqust

[@flip8591]

That's the most insight we've gotten into wtf is going on. Thanks bro. Long live the king of coaster channels!

[@coastercube838]

Thanks Ryan, any ka content is loved, would love to see a new video about the history of ka, TT2, and TTD

[@Raptorman0205]

What's infuriating is that the only reason that Kingda Ka won't get a reimagining is because of how catastrophic TT2's launch was, and the only reason TT2's launch was catastrophic was because Cedar Fair contracted an ill-prepared construction company in Zamperla. I know they were having a rough time hearing proposals from them, but fact is that Intamin is the only company that should have ever touched Top Thrill. And now an iconic legacy coaster has to bite the bullet due to Cedar Fair's own mismanagement. Cedar point is my home park, but I still think this is a load of BS.

[@markdaniels2123]

IN New Jersey that was not an option. If done here it would have to be Intamin who manufactured it to begin with

[@GOPRepubliklan]

TT2 will be gone by the end of the decade.

[@_lunartemis]

I love seeing all the ways the auto-generated captions misspell Kingda Ka

[@zelowatch30]

King of Kocks 😂 hahahaha

[@thepolicyoftruth]

kinda ka

[@jvanhoozen21]

I worked at Dragster before the incident and just this past summer got around to riding Kingda Ka. I got maybe 8-9 rides with almost half of them in the front. It made me miss operating Dragster and and getting to test ride it all the time. It's so sad that there are fewer and fewer hydraulic launches and now no more of the OG strata hydraulic launches. Truly no other experience/sensation like them.

[@markdaniels2123]

Dragsters mistake was the que was below the track and should not have been - Had it not been that coaster might still be open

[@tahjo7]

Nostalgic & emotional. For a coaster that I never rode, but captavated my imagination as a child, liken to Nasa & the space shuttle program. I never saw a launch on either. Modern marvel, gone too soon. Fury is the full circuit king in America now. Lol we need a "I'm The captain now" meme

[@askjeevescosby2928]

I told coaster enthusists that this merger is going to destroy legacy coasters. Our community has absolutly no respect for the rides we claim to enjoy. The oldest rollercoaster on the planet is rotting away and we are doing nothing. I tried to get a group together to raise the money to restore it on formus and they all mocked me saying "its a shtty ride anyway thats why nobody goes to ride it" when in reality it was garbage park management that gutted the park and allowed the coasters to fall into such disrepair. Ace is a disgrACE and the coaster community should be ashamed of them selves.

[@danamarie2970]

I'm not speaking about any specific group, but I will say this whole situation made me realize that people are afraid to take action. I started a petition to "Save Kingda Ka" (you can google and still sign/share if interested. It's free), but instead of using their voices to make a change or take a stance, many people just laughed at me, called me stupid, and refused to sign. Go figure.

[@AceAviations2]

Based on your comments I'm worried that ACE got infected by the same rot that is destroying the western gaming industry, so many industries of the west (entertainment, gaming, etc.) have been eaten from within, so ACE could be another casualty of that.

[@ColbertAwesome]

Six Flags Great Adventure Golden Era is gone because of Kingda KA closing

[@thatstoomuchtuna9612]

I firmly believe this is because Cedar Fair wanted Top Thrill to be THE stratacoaster and are holding a grudge from the coaster wars of the late 90s early 2000s

[@Hallknowsall]

Guys im an enthusiast knowing all of the ride types in the world and I CANNOT think of a replacement for this ride. Imagine what these corporate douchebags that decided to take Ka down are going to figure out. They need to open multiple coasters at once. Also while Zumanjaro did not have the most forceful drop, there is absolutely no feeling like sitting 400ft in the air watching Ka launching to you at 100 mph and shooting up and over you shaking your seats side to side.. There's nothing like it and there will be nothing like that ever again. It's just unreal. What we had was just amazing, and unfortunately the new Six Flags is just looking for cash grabs and not innovation.

[@danamarie2970]

THIS. I'll never forget my Ka & Zumanjaro experiences. What a duo. I loved how intimidating it was to see Ka's structure rise up while on Zumi. It was terrifyingly exciting. I miss that. :(

[@parente1986]

@@danamarie2970 I too got to experience both multiple times and I will never forget either that exciting panic feeling I got on both. Zumi was frightening and I LOVED IT and watching Ka launch while going up, sitting there and waiting to drop was the best experience I have ever had on ride! Then dropping as Ka was coming down the other side of the hill was electrifying to say the least! I will never forget these two monsters and the most fun I have ever had. I remember my heart shaking and the anxiety building while waiting to launch on Ka time and time again and then sitting and hanging 400 ft in the air on Zumi with again my heart shaking and the anxiety building waiting for the drop. I miss them so much and we will never see anything like those two ever again! Long live Ka and Zumi! The two best ever that I am so glad I got to know.

[@christianortiz-v1l]

Now we all must save El Toro from closing permanently.

[@Hurrishane03]

Oh no, don’t start that rumor

[@KingdaToro]

Doubt it'll happen. Worst case scenario, IMO, is it gets retracked with RMC steel track.

[@SunshineStateCoasters]

@@KingdaTorowhich won’t happen, Cedar Fair still hates both companies.

[@pepperypeppers2755]

A high tech gimmick ride at 20 is ancient. A woodie is just getting started. This is like worrying your pet tortoise is going to die cause your goldfish kicked the bucket.

[@macsignals]

​@@pepperypeppers2755that's the problem though, El Toro is a high tech gimmick wood coaster. Cable lift aside the track isn't regular wooden coaster track, it's essentially engineered LVL beams. I know they were making them in house but I can't imagine the numbers look good for that from a liability standpoint, especially under the new Six Flags. Same with the hydraulic launches and their insanely long steel cables. A regular wood coaster can be retracked from a lumber yard, El Toro isn't that coaster.

[@Outpost5Explorations]

Glad you and others said something about the closure because with it I wouldn't have gone to get my first rides on ka closing weekend

[@benshepherd6007]

Really interesting vid. As im living in the UK never got a chance to ride kingda ka. But I've been following the news as well as your vids closely. Real shame it didnt get a proper send off. Looking forward to more videos on the subject! Such an interesting build!

[@darkridedan1]

Thank you for your insightful reporting Ryan. It’s always nice to hear perspective from someone with inside knowledge.

[@Brandon-qd2lb]

Just keep pumping the kingda ka content out, anything is good for me! How many ride attendants were needed with the 4 train operation? They can’t hide from this decision forever, we will find out the real reasons eventually. Not having a repaint after almost 20 years was a little suspicious but six flags tends to have a habit of doing that.

[@KingdaToro]

Four train operation needed eight loading operators, two per train. The subsequent operating mode only needed two.

[@TripBloggers]

Cough cough Nitro

[@coasterconquest]

I’m so sad I didn’t get this credit. Ugh. Also thank you for putting out all the information for people to try and get last rides!

[@AVdE10000]

Same here. I was supposed to get it last year when visiting the USA, but on the very last day of my trip - which also happened to be my birthday - I planned to visit the park but couldn't due to a power outage. Coney Island sure as hell wasn't a good consolation price.

[@visionist7]

@@AVdE10000 that sucks 😞

[@coasterconquest]

@@AVdE10000uhg that sucks !!

[@SymphonyX44]

Opening Year train names: Green - Gak Dark Blue - Blueberry Muffin Orange - School bus Badunadunk Teal - CP Beat it!

[@ElToroRyan]

So classic!

[@bugsburrow]

From the three rides I got on Ka last Sunday, it instantly became a favorite of mine. I definitely am more into speed and intensity (which often go together) than I am airtime. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE airtime, but I feel like it’s a lot easier to come by than the feeling of pure speed. I305 is my favorite rollercoaster, if that gives you any idea of what i’m talking about. So needless to say, when I had my first ever ride on Ka in the very front seat, that launch floored me. I can’t even describe how it felt because I don’t really remember LMAO. Also, I don’t know if it’s just because it was kind of chilly out that night, so the wind felt extra intense, but I LOVED the feeling of flying over that second hill. It felt so much faster than I expected, and despite people swearing up and down that Dragster was better, I think I would’ve still liked Ka more because of that hill.

[@CR2Creative]

Anybody else notice Cedar Fair executives are “keyboard warriors” they sure have a lot of time on their hands happy that Kingda Ka is closing when the ride was operating perfect.

[@mayhare9754]

It was operating perfectly, but it wasn't making them enough money (from what I hear, it was costing them, in fact.) It hurt their wallets, so they immediately wanted it gone. Executives only ever make decisions based on profit. I understand the coaster was hard to upkeep, but the very least they could have done was given it a proper sendoff. It was the tallest goddamn coaster in the world. It deserved better than being dropped like this.

[@powerzlo]

One day the ride op for Toro told us to ride Ka while we still can, Probably 2 and 1/2 weeks before close.

[@OleJanssen]

It's sad, but quite honestly, it's probably the fate of a lot of the major coaster war examples. These rides were literally bending what was physically possible at the time, and that necessitates a lot of technical complexity and increased wear. The result is disproportionate downtime and very high maintenance cost compared to just slightly less thrilling rides, making it difficult for parks to justify keeping the ride open. With the coaster wars mostly settled, in the future, I think we will see more technologically refined rides take the place of the old ones, that, while not as extreme or record breaking as their predecessors, may last longer and be much easier to operate.

[@lexiriddle6084]

We have already seen this transition and the result is sadly B&Ms instead of Intamins

[@itsKegger]

The merger FUCKED Kingda Ka and left guests hanging and pissed off beyond belief, like myself. Never got the chance to ride it. I rode Zumanjaro but not Kingda Ka, this whole situation is such a shame and only about money.

[@mayhare9754]

Company mergers are all garbage.

[@blatherstv]

If this video came out before the announcement I would have been absolutely convinced. Interesting stuff!

[@brendanhatzyanks]

It was so messed up to not give this a send off. Just happy I got to ride it in April.

[@nixon2tube]

Ryan, on a previous video I mentioned that I have an axiom: When two companies merge, the shittier companies policies always win. Thus this sort of thing should not surprise you. My big take away is that 6 Flags is notorious for crappy maintenance compared to other major chains. I fully expect the combined company to adopt 6 Flags maintenance rather than Cedar Fairs. So I am very hesitant to even frequent parks owned by that entity.

[@velocity_game101]

RIP Kinda Ka 😢

[@EarthySmerky]

Kinda ka

[@zelowatch30]

You R.I.P

[@Itsyaboyharry98]

Wild that no one else noticed or commented on it. Or they did and I missed it, definitely would have boosted the credibility of the rumors

[@jefryhardy1140]

Nothing better than being a season pass holder for over 15 years and not being told one of the most popular rides in the park is closing until after it’s closed. Perfectly explains why Six Flags GA is struggling like it is.

[@TripBloggers]

Closing the sky ride on top of all these other closures only makes it worse. Meanwhile, other parks in the chain are getting all sorts of new rides and refurbishments.

[@Brandon-qd2lb]

Parts are still easy to get for that sky ride as well! You just need to pay up.

[@ItsSiebay]

I do think it was funny how many people completely denied the signs that the ride wasn’t continuing operation after this year, but I also find it sad that they didn’t have the courtesy to say anything at all even if it was a last minute decision.

[@Meagan1023]

This was interesting, thank you! I kept hearing people joking about it closing and I could not tell if anyone was serious or not, until Six Flags made a statement. It's a shame it closed

[@repairshop22]

Boy did GA really crap the bed with the 50 year anniversary

[@MichaelRei99]

I’m extremely mad at them. They promised so much and delivered nothing!

[@Brandon-qd2lb]

It just kept getting worse every month lmao?

[@nokrepkie]

@@Brandon-qd2lb Great Adventure fans after flash was delayed: “wow this is the worst 50th anniversary season ever! Surely things won’t get worse!”

[@yourrapunzel]

@@Brandon-qd2lb And we still have an entire month left to go. Can’t wait to see what new disappointment December brings!

[@darkridedan1]

It’s karma. RIP Rolling Thunder. RIP Great American Scream Machine. RIP Sky Ride. RIP Super Teepee. RIP Conestoga Wagon. RIP Aqua Stadium/Ft Independence. RIP Great Lake Grandstand. RIP Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Pendulum, Evolution, Rodeo Stampede, Chaos, RIP the classic flat ride collection, RIP Batman Stunt Show.

i can listen to you talking about ka all day long

[@RCmaniac1231]

For those wondering why there are still people who think the ride could be re imagined it’s because even in their clarification they left just enough room for speculation to continue. They didn’t explicitly say “ the ride will not be reimagined” and they didn’t explicitly say “ the entire structure of the ride is being removed” either. This allows enough room for people to have different interpretations of what their clarification message could mean. Things like “what do they define as a brand new ride” or “what is their definition of re imagining” etc. I personally think the entire ride is coming down but until demo permits, or demolition actually begins on the ride or until Six Flags unambiguously says the entire ride is being removed people will continue to speculate

[@PruneJuice100]

If I use my brain, I think that the whole thing is coming down. Literally every fiber of my being hates even the thought of that, and there's still a part of me that's deluded enough into thinking somehow they're gonna reuse the top hat, but I'm in doom mode right now

[@jacobrotkowitz3978]

Correct me if I am wrong but don’t they need to file for a demo permit before they can even prepare to take it down?

[@RCmaniac1231]

@@jacobrotkowitz3978 yes. As far as I’m aware they haven’t yet

[@jacobrotkowitz3978]

@@RCmaniac1231 I wish they would just say outright it’s bringing removed or reimagined. Also after the debacle with top thrill 2 they probably wouldn’t just say outright it’s being reimagined because the public would probably hate that ( not as much as removing it). They are being so vague while I’m not saying it’ll be removed or reimagined I still think there is a chance for either

[@DrPepperone]

For those wondering why there are still people who think the ride could be re imagined it's because those people are unapologetically stupid. Here, fixed it for you.

[@Themeparkanxiety]

The same thing appears to be happening with Superman Escape From Krypton at Magic Mountain. The usual maintenance has been pulled and workers dispensed to other rides

[@coasterdroidgaming3699]

I HATE how Cedar Fair and Six Flags merged together. I was excited at first but after the announcement of Kingda Ka's closure, now i wish they NEVER merged together. I really wish they would have waited until 2026 or 2027 to merge. I think that would've given everyone who loves Ka and EVERYONE who didn't have the chance to ride (like me sadly) would've been able to ride it for their first time or even their last time ever.

[@theblackhood4812]

It’s so frustrating there was no announcement of its expected closure a year in advance. My plans to tour all of the east coast amusement parks next summer is going to feel like a ginormous chunk of it has been shot off never getting the chance to ride this. When Cedar Fair and Six Flags announced the merge, I couldn’t have been the only one who knew this wasn’t going to end well. And long and behold they’ve put to death the Roller Coaster King without any real chance to let the world say goodbye😢

[@andrewmorris6346]

Maybe Intamin saw what Zamprela did to Dragster and had a “hold my beer” moment.

[@spacemachete]

It's comforting to make sense of things during times of grief.

[@Hennisphere]

"Doing so probably didn't look good on an Excel spreadsheet" The bean counters strike again

[@Oldiesmann]

I only managed two rides on Ka as I'm 9½ hours away. I added Great Adventure to my itinerary on my vacation this past summer since it was only a couple hours from other parks I was visiting in eastern Pennsylvania.

[@dr.dangles74]

I am from Hamilton, 20 mins from Six Flags. I’ve done rode Kingda Ka over 50 times . A legend

[@Tahngarthor]

Keep doing what you do Ryan :) I voiced some skepticism in your videos leading up to the actual announcement because of the slightly clickbaity title declaring the coaster was closing before any official announcement. I realize you only wanted to let people know "if you want to ride it do it now," I'm just more along the lines to wait for something official before jumping to any conclusions. But apparently the real problem here was the new SF corporate opting to just quitely close the ride rather than use it as an oppertunity to drive late-season traffic to the park.

[@NWPhillyWX]

I'll miss this engineering masterpiece. I'm honestly disgusted by how they did this. They left it to youtubers like you, just for you to get all the hate. Closing one of the, if not the most known rides out there is already bad, but without a proper sendoff? I'm also upset that it was really just a series of events that led them to decide that it wasn't worth it. With the issue with Zumanjaro happening, and New Jersey not allowing them to operate Ka because of that, feels like a "I don't think this is worth it, its too expensive" move to me. I understand that it was because of money, but also because of corporate greed. Long live the King. All hail the King. #CedarUnfair #ZimmermanOut

[@CR2Creative]

Cedar Fair is still mad from the coaster wars from 2005. They want garbage Top Thrill Dumpster to hold the record that ride sucks its been sitting abandoned for years the structure is rotted and no good and it will never have that glory again no atter what Top Thrill 2 has been a disaster so theyre taking their anger out on Kingda Ka. Kingda Kas structure is good since it always got its yearly maintenance and they’re just trying to destroy Six Flags Great Adventure. None of the Cedar Fair executive are welcome at Great Adventure until they fix this situation.

[@OddlySpecificFilms]

I've been to Great Adventure every couple of years and have always ridden Kingda Ka as its my favorite coaster there since it was built. I happened to go summer of 2024 and TBH the ride was much rougher than I remember. I wonder if maybe it was bad enough they'd have to replace segments of the track and that could maybe cost too much, not sure but just a thought.

[@DavidWRyan]

I never got to ride it. It was closed every time I went to the park.

[@bradye21playsIndieHorror]

"Didnt look good in an excel spreadsheet." Thats how every big corporation runs. They forget the human aspect, as well as it's not so one sided. They would make their money back and more for the last maintenance, as people from around the world would make time to come for their last ride on the tallest and fastest coaster (for now - yes I'm aware).

[@zacharylauzon886]

It makes sense because we are consumers. We don’t sit in the Executive Team and we don’t need to be told ahead of time

[@lyingdogfacedponysoldier201]

Ryan, you said that (as far as you know/understand), the structural issue with Zumanjaro didn't effect KK in the slightest...does that possibly leave the door open for Intamin to have a crack at a retrofit? I've got this nagging feeling that there's a really solid chance of that still happening especially with how the wording of the announcement was phrased. My concern with TT2 from the very beginning was the aluminum chassis of the lightning trains being unable to withstand the kind of forces and vibrations that going 120+mph entail especially with a higher heartline which would magnify any vibrations, imperfections, etc. Intamin would probably not try to push things there and use a traditional steel chassis as well as the fact they have decades of experience building big like that and would likely better be able to solve some of the issues that would arise from such a project. You think there's any chance of this, or are they just gonna demo the whole thing for sure? I wouldn't blame them if they did, however as long as the tower/track is structurally fine the fact still remains they could make a really big ride and save a ton of money in the process with a retrofit along the lines of Intamin's original TTD redo proposal.

[@RCmaniac1231]

We all wish it were happening but I give it like single digit percentage chances of happening at best…. So in reality basically no chance

[@lyingdogfacedponysoldier201]

@@RCmaniac1231 I too would be surprised if they did, after the disaster that TT2 has become I almost certainly wouldn't vote to try again with Intamin if I were on the board. I'm sure even the tower itself as a structure is somewhat of a pain to inspect and maintain in its own right. At the end of the day if they took the safe route and made a Fury equivalent it would be the better ride, although not as marketable.

[@RCmaniac1231]

@ I mean they do at least need to get over their beef with Intamin as it’s been 15 years

[@mikeyp916]

Until it's torn down, anything is possible. Who knows, Zamperla might make them a deal they can't refuse to give Ka the TT2 treatment because of the nightmare they created at CP.

[@markdaniels2123]

@@mikeyp916 >>Zamperla might make them a deal they can't refuse

[@markryl-kuchar2373]

It’s crazy that even though Kingda Ka was a money pit and with the drop tower damaged, there’s still something six flags corporate isn’t saying about why this ride was removed the way it was

[@katiewennerberg210]

I was doubtful of the rumors, until a friend of mine with reliable sources confirmed it to me. I then managed in under a week to plan a day trip from Texas to the park to get my final rides, and my friend got her first. It was amazing, we saw its final rollback. I’ll forever miss the ride, it’s special in a way that’s hard to describe. The absolute purest form of joy is the only way to describe how it feels on that launch, soaring up the tower. Freedom. I did notice the blue train in the station and admit that seemed odd to me, didn’t actually think through why it was just sitting like that. But I already knew it would be gone so didn’t put much thought into it. Thanks to everyone who did announce the closure to give people a chance. My day trip was the craziest thing I’ve ever done, and a memory I’ll always cherish. Getting my final rides, my friend’s first, seeing a rollback, and seeing some other acquaintances there to say farewell. It was a magical day

[@andrew_xj8411]

I’m so upset to see this and Zumanjaro closed. I remember when each ride first opened, riding each of them more times than I can count. I thought they’d be up for many more years. Upsetting to see, but also brings back many core memories from over the years.

[@firefly8065]

I did find this interesting! When I rode Ka two years ago I did wonder why one of the trains wasn't in use. Now I know why! Still, I'm so sad and disappointed in how corporate handled the closing of this coaster. Ka is a ride I'll never forget and I'm thankful I was able to make it to Great Adventure two years ago just to ride it

[@kevkavalier]

I think evidence of closure first was the lack of painting it as it looks like rusty crap now.

[@fainttomcat652]

We need a other coaster in its spot maybe a tilting coaster or a rmc hybrid coaster

[@FrijolesFuego]

I get the logic behind "don't rebuild the trains for only part of a season" but why no rebuilt them for one last whole season? Close Ka at the end of 2025, with the proper send off.

[@RUKrisfan07]

I'm just so grateful I had the chance to ride Kingda Ka a few times. It was such a rush for me. I, too, am so displeased with how the closing of this ride was handled. Anyway, when the ride was newer and the line used to get really long for it, there used to be a DJ in the queue line that would play people's requests for songs as they waited in line for the ride. Does anybody remember the name of that DJ?

[@ckilbarger01]

I think it's nice that someone along the line left the breadcrumbs out in the open for anyone who cared to figure it out for themselves

[@ganacoplumbing1215]

So sad to hear it’s being removed, I live in the area and every so often while taking back roads you would see that huge structure appear in the distance! I never rode it but always thought it was a cool part of central nj!

[@Buckeye2043]

I’ll never forget my 2 rides. Last one was epic. Freight fest power hours right at closing at night.

[@RevNoch]

A friend and I had gone to Cedar Point last May and missed out on TT2 by a week. We ended up booking a trip to Great Adventure this last October in order to ride Ka, because we couldn't ride TT2. I'm strangely grateful for TT2 not operating. Ka was a fantastic ride and I'm sad I'll not get to experience it again, but wow, what a memory it is. When I was there though, I did find it odd at the lack of merch for Ka. Armed with current knowledge, was that also a sign? I did end up eventually finding a shirt at the little pagoda next to the ride, but there wasn't even anyone working the shop to sell it to me. I had to take it down the walkway to the larger shop behind Twister to get someone to help me. I laugh because there was a Japanese couple at the small shop with me (I had seen them a couple days earlier at Hershey Park as well, small world). They couldn't figure out how to buy the Merch either. They didn't speak English and I certainly don't speak Japanese. I tried to pantomime to them that I was taking the shirt to another shop for help. Thinking about the interaction now, I'm pretty sure they think I just walked off with it, LOL.

[@livingghost371]

Besides the expense, I have to imagine the potential liability and guest relations issues played a roel. Remember TTD closed for good after a serious accident and they couldn't guarantee the same thing wouldn't happend to Ka. And I imagine they got more than a few complaints from guests about the ride not being operating the day they were there.

[@ElmTheLumina]

It’s devastating to know as I am slowly becoming a roller coaster enthusiast I will never get to ride Kingda Ka, because I never was able to make it to that area of the states before it closed.

[@zachkelley1867]

Keep up the good work man great info. I almost flew in to ride it but I had never been to the park so I also wanted other rides that seemed to been down for the season

[@ProphettWith2Ts]

thiiiis is the video ive been waiting for about this

[@kaz9781-do8cd]

This is so sad I have so many great memories on that coaster, I doubt whatever will replace it will be better

[@ElijahSmithVideo]

While I never got to ride Ka, I did get to ride TT1 twice in 2009. I will never forget the rush, or that beautiful hydraulic squeal on the far end of the launch track. It's true, they really don't make 'em like they used to...

[@carysage]

Dang Last time I was this early GA had the world's tallest coaster😂

[@ReactAsyIum]

2:55 why'd they bother to add tiger stripes this year, since they were gonna close it anyways just weeks later?

[@joanleary]

Fascinating! Thank you so much for sharing

[@arianewman4770]

When I rode it in 2005, they still had the Tiger below the ride and on the drop down, you could see into the pen.

[@davidlewis6752]

It’s unfortunate that this ride has closed but I’m glad that I got to ride this ride & experience this I hope that Six Flags Great Adventure or Cedar Fair the new company that took over this Park creates something that’s similar to this Iconic Ride.

[@Only.Toli.]

Brother went too go do it for his birthday years and years ago when it first opened - I finally got to try it out in summer one time and it’ll be the last time. Probably the best punch I’ve ever felt on a coaster.

[@F7COASTERS]

It’s such a shame it looked like Great Adventure really did care for Ka and before the Merger it looked like it was about to get a refurb I wish we could’ve seen what that would’ve looked like. Before cedar fair disgusting Corporate agenda kicked in and removed an Iconic and fully operational coaster.

[@AndrewBrooks16]

It seems like Cedar Fair doesn't care for the hydraulic launch coaster anymore, since they had their own issues with Top Thrill Dragster

[@AC1097-eb2ss]

​@@AndrewBrooks16 Xcelerator seems to be safe for now since Knott's just received TTD's parts. Probably helps having a launch track less than 1/3rd of Ka's length (and taking up a tiny plot of land that any manufacturer would have a hell of a day coming up with a worthy replacement in.)

[@MichaelRei99]

Cedar Fair sucks ass!!

[@CR2Creative]

@@AndrewBrooks16cedar fair likes the hydraulic launch coasters they’re just still mad and butt hurt from the coaster wars from 2005. They want garbage Top Thrill Dumpster to hold the record that ride sucks its been sitting abandoned for years the structure is rotted and no good and it will never have that glory again no atter what Top Thrill 2 has been a disaster so theyre taking their anger out on Kingda Ka. Kingda Kas structure is good since it always got its yearly maintenance and they’re just trying to destroy Six Flags Great Adventure.

[@Usastrong1123]

Actually before blue was torn apart in the station it was torn up on the maintenance track, also where do they keep the trains when they were undergoing rebuild

[@FadkinsDiet]

Kingda Ma proved to me the line between abject terror and total bliss is pretty blurry.

[@its_reptar]

Just happy I rode this coaster a few times over the years, and when it was the tallest and fastest in the world.