Kingda Ka's Opening Day - May 21, 2005 - Original Queue and Lots of Downtime

[@mithramusic5909]

I was working at the park that day. All day there was an EIGHT HOUR wait for Ka. I rode a few days later and it was still a four hour wait, pretty much most of the season. To this day that's the longest I've ever waited for one ride. Worth it!

[@gnnascarfan2410]

Question, did they cut off the line 8 hours before park close?

[@mithramusic5909]

@gnnascarfan2410 honestly I've been wondering how they handled that EVER SINCE. I never thought to ask about it. And it's too long ago for me to remember if they closed the line hours early as the season progressed, but I imagine they had no other option.

[@Jadentheman]

I forgot that the queue had a DJ in it's first few years along with the iconic horn before launch. Man to be alive during that time.

[@RUKrisfan07]

Do you remember the name of that DJ? Because I'm desperate to find out his name if anyone remembers it.

[@BIIIKES]

​@@RUKrisfan07 DJ Tiesto. He used to play at Skull Mtn and a few others as well.

[@RUKrisfan07]

@@BIIIKES Thanks for letting me know what the name of the DJ was. I couldn't remember his name for the life of me.

[@BIIIKES]

@@RUKrisfan07 No worries, brother

[@saintjimmy456]

My dumb a$$ expecting a POV, like they were gonna let somebody's dad on with a camcorder the size of a toaster.

[@JSXSProductions]

Hey, in 2005 I got my sick new digital camera that recorded in stunning 360p, and it was a little smaller than my current phone lmao.

[@etymonlegomenon931]

Amazing how young people can be so wrong about the past

[@donjohnson9688]

Yeah, it wasn't the 80's.

[@Tahngarthor]

LOL

[@billchief397]

​@etymonlegomenon931 Lol like it was 1985..

[@SchrodingersCat8813]

I was there! Was a Jr in High School, 3 of us called out sick, went to Six Flags for Ka's opening day. We ran to it and only had a 20 minute wait when we were like 2 rides away aaaand it went down for 3 hours lol But the vibe and energy of it was just amazing. What a day.

[@OakViewFilms]

As an enthusiasts for 25+ years, I'm so glad I got to live and experience the "Coaster Wars". Absolutely insane to see what parks could come up with during that time period. I get why it ended - Parks would rather play it safe with smaller/more reliable projects that didn't suffer tons of downtime, and guarentee ROI. But damn do I miss the boldness parks/manufacturers had during that era. As excited as I am for Falcon's Flight, I doubt it'll lead to "Coaster Wars 2.0"

[@Patexer]

Fr

[@ItsSiebay]

Is it weird to say I feel like we’re in the second coaster war right now?

[@Smartacus98]

I'd be amazed if Falcon's Flight isn't horribly plagued by downtime and ends up becoming the world's most expensive garden ornament after a few years of operation, in all honesty. I'm personally surprised that they even built the thing, given KSA's track record on flashy, audacious megaprojects.

[@Peter_9_9_9]

@@Smartacus98 honestly falcons flight will likely turn into another ring racer where it just stands sbno like I dont ever see the thing operating for more than 5 years at max with the cost to operate it cedar fair will likely cut the ride immediately

[@whereisrvggie]

@@Peter_9_9_9six flags qiddiya is not owned or operated by cedar flags. It is owned by the government and funded by the government. They pretty much have unlimited money. IMHO this ride will not run full time and they can also charge whatever they want for people to ride it. No telling what their plans are yet but cedar flags has no say.

[@cobra3437]

I have been looking for actual footage of the old queue line for so long now. This is sad but also amazing how many people actually came to ride this.

[@BlueCometProductions]

I missed hearing the launch horn, a throwback for sure

[@musiclovesyouxoxo]

the fact there was a similar type of energy on closing day, my heart hurts

[@maxbaumle]

I was there that weekend! Great Adventure is one of my home parks and it was the talk of every kid in school at the time. I remember they had a DJ in the queue to entertain us all while we waited in the obscene line. They took your picture twice on the ride: Once during the launch, and once right as you started braking on the airtime hill. The ultimate "before and after" photo! Ka just oozed prestige.

[@VirgoTiger]

Not a phone in sight, amazing energy from everyone there

[@bugsburrow]

Numa numa has got to be the funniest possible way to date this footage

[@jonnygee489]

I remember riding the first week Ka was open with my dad. There was a MAD dash to the coaster as soon as the Six Flags theme played. Lots of people sprinting/tripping/falling down. We sprinted all the way there. Once there we had to walk the entire queue line, which felt like forever. I think we waited about fifteen minutes to get on the ride. WHAT A RUSH. It was the best day of my eleven-year-old life. I think Ka closed down for a few weeks after that.

[@thisrollercoasterlife498]

I see you've moved on to the next step in the grieving process which is remembering the good ole times. I'll admit it, I felt a little nostalgic. I've only been going to GAd since 2022.

[@TonyKimtheamusementparkfan]

That queue line is so beautiful and you can really get a good view of the ride 🔥🔥 compared to now, this queue is so much better. Plus seeing all 4 trains is so cool!!

[@johnpatrick7426]

Such a different, simpler world. I miss it

[@coolboss999]

Wow you were originally UNDERNEATH the coaster with the original queue? That is wild!

[@ryan7032]

THANK YOU MAINTENANCE 🗣️🗣️🗣️

[@michaelgreco4813]

my family always had season passes when I was a kid. i still remember seeing the ride for the first time that spring. I remember it being like nothing ive ever seen before. years later during my first ride i got to launch twice due to a rollback. RIP this ride man

[@justinbataille3267]

this ride was SO MUCH cooler with the original queue

[@GuyT-z7o]

It blows my mind that it’s been nearly 2 decades

[@lukekibbles]

time just keeps on marching forward

[@solarwinds5114]

It's sad that it didn't make its 20th anniversary

[@RideOpJ]

SO glad you posted this, Ryan. I can't believe they are removing 6 rides at once. Unbelievable.

[@Star______86454]

I remember riding this, the one and only time, in the front row at ~11 pm, right before the park closed, summer 2007. My sister and I waited in line for FOUR HOURS while they did maintenance and test runs. I felt my contact lenses rippling from the speed. Wildest ride I’ve ever been on for sure.

[@sydneykrier4118]

RIP Scream Machine in the background ❤

[@Moxxxxxxxie]

its so weird seeing kingda ka without Zumanjaro

[@Brandon-qd2lb]

Dang that’s so cool. There’s got to be more unseen footage out there from 2005! We’ll find it! Looks like it had a ton of issues and long lines its first year.

[@Jadentheman]

There are tons even on KZbin you can find it, just need to specify the year. As a millennial, there were tons of Ka content in the late 00s uploaded from big channels and amateurs alike back then. Yeah most quality going to be bad because it was from flip phones and shit, but it's there.

[@RUKrisfan07]

It definitely had a lot of issues its first year as it was closed for a large part of June, July and into August due to an incident that happened which caused damage to the brake fins.

[@NorthEastCoasters]

At the 5:15 mark, there’s a very good chance I’m out on the Orange train stuck on Transfer. That’s about the time I got stuck out there. And we were Station 1 right. So it adds up

[@LyndsieDances]

I remember being in line for Magnum XL 200 opening day. Heck of a time to be alive. Hotel was 15 a night. Buffet was 5 dollars. Was a write of passage

[@lukekibbles]

how times have changed

[@ginog5037]

What about Cork Screw, OMG...

[@markdaniels2123]

Was there that first day and on that ride at about 1130 AM. Then rode Rolling Thunder and then Mine Train and then Medusa and by then it was 230 PM - ate at McDonalds East Windsor then home and asleep by 6 PM to work at 11 PM...Saturday May 21, 2005 - Returned to park on my day off and it rained so it was closed but rode the rest of the coasters and friends - Got back on it Sunday before Memorial Day having that night off - Then back to ride it on June 2 ---- Then it closes for a while JUne 5 right after the original CBS FM ends for the adult Rock format JACK FM June 3 - Last words on the station "Did you ever get teh urge to shout RESCUE ME - Well I am getting that feeling Fontella Bass" Well I am getting that feeling now about Kingda Ka

[@czxmando2498]

Wow awesome video wish there were more of these type of videos .. crazy how close the queue was to the actual ride !!

[@Itsyaboyharry98]

Man, that original que looks awesome. A shame that it couldn't be used after the accident

[@CameronFord-q1i]

THANK U SO MUCH FOR THIS RYAN, I needed this. looked a lot different then my first time riding it in 2012. the original queue, everything, looked so nice back then. This opened 2 months before I was born, and god I wish I was old enough to ride it.

[@danthecoasterman22]

Get well soon Ryan ❤

[@psosna]

I will never forget the thrill of riding it for the first time. It makes me sad that no one will ever experience that again.

[@Regent049]

Ive never rode it before, I wish i was into roller coasters sooner rip the legend i never conquered

[@SSSammyRCT]

Numa numa on the radio, it was def 2005 lmao

[@coasterjim]

0:28 What was the right side of the queue for? Skip the line? It looks like it was the left that was for the main queue

[@JackHanington]

It didn't feel like it was an almost 20 year old coaster but then I saw Great American Scream Machine in the background and now it does feel that old. Time flies, mang.

[@joegotlewski413]

I liked when they put advertisements on the coaster trains. Especially the “Got 2 Be Glue” that was on the orange train!

[@WillKalili]

I doubt the allure and enthusiasm Ka had on it's opening day will be replaced by anything Cedar Fair opens in it's place

[@jimmura100]

I remember being so hyped for this to open. I was in fourth grade and called the park every single day asking when the opening date was going to be. Still have SFGA’s phone number memorized. I had a broken wrist and was in a cast and I remember wearing an oversized coat to hide it so that I could ride. Once we got past the turnstiles at park open it was like the running of the bulls to get to the back of the park.

[@bkroeckel]

Unfortunately when I was younger I was scared of coasters and never got to experience Ka with its original queue and horn launch. My first time was sometime in either late spring or early summer 2010. Been a huge fan since. Long live the King.

[@Cccoast]

Omg I forgot about the horn before the launch!! Good times ❤

[@bugsburrow]

WOW. This footage is incredible, thank you SO MUCH for compiling/uploading this. I didn’t even know the queue used to be like this?? It looks incredible. It’s so weird to see the area not covered in bamboo. When did they stop using the other side of the station?

[@SAVEKINGDAKA]

2010

[@JoshSmith-me7oe]

Can’t believe that observation area was taken away

[@watcheri5742]

I was there, it was the end of my freshman year of high school. I waited 6 hours.

[@HayLeesHomeMade]

I remember i was so mad when Kingda Ka was opened. There used to be a white tiger exhibit where the coaster stood, and now i know that the tigers weren't treated the best but 6yo me didn't know that, i just wanted to see the tigers and they weren't there anymore

[@talos6202]

Shit! I forgot they used to do the dispatching that way. 2 trains out at a time and those same two trains loading on the same side at the same time. My first ride was in June of 2005. We waited 3hrs 15min for the front seat. And if remember correctly, it broke down a week later when the chain mechanism broke and sprayed oil on the guess walking underneath.

[@kevingreen5793]

Remember when Ka used to have a horn that would sound whenever it was going to launch? Wonder why they removed it after the first season?

[@TheRailfanofTexas]

It was because of noice complaints

[@GinaRivera-e4l]

Omg too much memories makes me cry out I love kinda ka❤😢 the beat ride ever in the world 🌍

[@Domi39]

oh wow the bamboo hadn't grown yet lol I kinda prefer that look to be honest. Felt a little claustrophobic in there. And are they really playing Dragostea Din Tei for the queue line? That's awesome. Fuck I miss 2005.

[@charlessaunders1217]

I never knew that kingda kas had a different entrance from the middle of the ride, I always thought it was on the side of the ride

[@Chris-x4n6p]

Oh shit! I was here with my dad this day, we were on the 7th train....time to comb through the footage and see if I can find me!

[@hunterm915]

I was there with my brother that day. He waited 7 hours in line

[@OptimusSubPr1me]

Look how sparse the bamboo is lmao. You could see the whole launch!

[@HannahandCailinLoesch]

“Arms down, heads back, hold on” 💔

[@matthewadonis3020]

I wish Cedar Fair would just do the maintenance 1 more year at least so we can experience that hydraulic launch again

[@geodeo5022]

I'm definitely in there somewhere... 6hrs waiting

[@washboy154]

“I got sprayed on, must be water on the track!” Nope it’s just hydraulic fluid from the launch 😂

[@Beethoven1111]

Nope, it actually is water! The cable would be sprayed with water during launch to keep it cool; when the catch car would return sometimes it kicked up a lot of residual water still on the cables.

[@Jcjc-lr4bf]

I’d give anything to go back. The hype was real, it was so lively and fresh. So sad how they left it. Anyone know the songs at 0:12 and 0:30? Want to put them in no limits as extended queue music.

[@matthewcole4753]

I think my brother was there and waited on this line on that day. Only the best rides are worth waiting for, and this is among the few. Meanwhile I was in Pre-K

[@jeo33466]

Why are the trains going backwards into the station?

[@elcee4556]

I remember the original queue. I wonder why they stopped using it.

[@Brandon-qd2lb]

An accident happened a month after it opened

[@SAVEKINGDAKA]

They should bring that air horn back

[@Jadentheman]

The horn needs to return as a tribute for the new ride

[@JorgenFitnesz]

Funny thing is they never got rid of the horn they just turned it off bec I heard it once when I was there back in 2020 for a test launch

[@Brandon-qd2lb]

Think it’s used for morning test runs?

[@Sonic-gy7kq]

Can we just appreciate Intamin. Sure, they have a tendency of going down when you visit the park, but god dayum no other manufacturer comes close to risks they are willing to take and boundaries they pushed. B&M did in the 90s but would rather make smooth family inverts now. Intamin was leading in innovation and risks 20-30 years ago and still are today with falcons flight. Parks hate them, (most) fans love them. I’m not a fan boy either. I always liked RMC, S&S, and B&M is great (or was). Just the experiences I’ve had on Intamins are industry leading for coasters. RIP strata coasters 😭

[@LibbyHolmes-zb2ws]

How old was kingda ka ❤

[@gooigismansion8215]

What year was the original queue abandoned

[@jamesclark80]

Damn…I was getting married in VA the same time you were recording this video…almost 20 years ago 😮

[@CoastersPX]

That's crazyyyyy

[@DiscoverGuy]

You thought is was also gonna go backwards huh

[@YaelViruet-ke3tc]

I'm still in disbelief that they're closing this.

[@amusementhunter]

For those wondering, this was indeed filmed on a potato. Good news is, said potato was retired later that year!

[@Usastrong1123]

Holy cow it looks so nice without all the trees and bamboo

[@reiemg]

Four days before I was born

[@Spike-sk7ql]

So, I have plans already set for a trip to Dorney, Hershey, and Great Adventure, next May. These are all 3 parks that I will be visiting for the first time.😢😢😢. Seriously, cedar fair?!?!?!?!?! Geauga Lake wasn't bad enough?????? X-Flight/Firehawk wasn't bad enough??? Now, when I FINALLY plan a trip to the park, you go and pull Ka out from under me?!?! In a way, I will never forger, nor forgive you for this!

[@solarwinds5114]

KZbin was only 3 months old at the time, that's crazy to think

[@Pikmin012]

RIP your majesty

[@Helmarmelade]

A speech for Kingda Ka: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKXXnoCDgtyekLs

[@TS_Mind_Swept]

4:10 Oh if only they had known the significance of that statement (and even 120 was too fast Keepo ) Also《cry》

[@gillianomotoso328]

0:57 - *NUMA NUMA*

[@MotoMedicine904]

These were simpler times.

[@watcheri5742]

I go to great adventure every weekend in the morning. I HAVE NO REASON TO GO ANYMORE 😢

[@julianponce1854]

Lmao whoever was telling people they can move up in line.. I feel you. Move mfs Also I feel the pain of the operations and down time. I live in Indiana and I’ve driven to cedar point and missed dragster every time let alone tt2 this year Been to the park 6 times and none of the days it was working I’ve driven to Florida and been burned by Iron Gwazi I’ve driven to Virginia and been burned by I305 Things like that can turn you from a thusie to a hater

[@latashayoung6578]

😭😭😭😭😭

[@plighting_engineerd]

Haha cool!

[@money200476]

LMAO NUMA NUMA BEING PLAYED I LOVE IT

[@RewNi]

14 year old me is in that line lol

[@JohnThomas-lq5qp]

RIP 11/2024.

[@YouTubestopsharingmyrealname]

in 2006 I got the credit. RIP

[@singlerailindustries1763]

I Love How Most Of The Footage Is Just The Downtime 😅....

[@larrymantic2635]

Some time before it got killed off for Flash

[@rhphoenix5]

You know this is 2005 because NUMA NUMA IS PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND

[@ginog5037]

Cedar Fair sucks, no Ka and who knows about TT2...

[@michaelt3885]

Jesus is the way the truth & the Life. Ask Him into your life. Cleanse you from ALL unrighteounsess. Make Him your Lord & your Savior. One day, YOU will go to Heaven. Amen.

[@Sonic-gy7kq]

Six flags… the most affordable, reliable, and often has the most thrilling. RIP 🪦 🙏 thank you six flags for going bankrupt and making poor financial decisions for the sake of advertising and bragging rights. May you rest in peace as cedar fair shits all over your name/brand with their conservative business practice😭🪦