The 2023 Six Flags/Cedar Fair merger is still being felt throughout the theme park community, as this huge happening changes the playing field in the United States. With those sorts of movements usually come a fair share of rumors about how such a new entity will operate thanks to the new corporate family that has emerged. As early as this past summer, the rumor that Six Flags Great Adventure may be closing its Kingda Ka coaster has had my home state of New Jersey concerned.
While those whispers are growing, with a supposed closing date now in the air, I’m not entirely convinced that this is what’s happening, at least for the moment. So let’s take a look at those rumors and why people might want to keep their feelings inside the vehicle at the moment.
Six Flags Great Adventure Is Rumored To Be Closing Kingda Ka…This Weekend
As I mentioned before, there have been rumors swirling for some time that Kingda Ka, once the world’s tallest and fastest steel roller coaster, is being slated to close down for good. Guests who visit the Jackson, New Jersey thrill park have been openly questioning whether or not these reports are true, especially with several local radio stations reporting those rumors themselves.
While no one can really pinpoint where this rumor started, it’s taken a huge turn on social media. As you’ll see in the claims included in the post below, it looks like Sunday, November 10th might be the last dance for The Golden Kingdom’s crown jewel:
Kingda Ka was the first coaster I consciously remember being announced, it was the first coaster where I followed its construction, and I vividly remember my first ride on it in 2007. I rode the teal train with my dad. I had the pleasure of operating it in 2015 and it has been a… pic.twitter.com/IIrXUehOQoNovember 8, 2024
Keep in mind, there hasn’t been any sort of official announcement that even suggests Kingda Ka is coming down. In trying to track down the truth, I tried reaching out to a representative through Six Flags’ official live chat host. After being directed to a human agent, I was given the following statement:
Regarding Kingda Ka, we have no information on future developments or closures at this time.
Six Flags Guest Relations
While I’m reaching out for further statements to either confirm or deny this sentiment, I’m not buying that Kingda Ka is closing. Or at least, I don’t think it’ll be closing just yet.
Why I’m Not Entirely Convinced Kingda Ka Is Not Closing… Yet
I do not think that Six Flags Great Adventure is closing down Kingda Ka at this moment, and I’m doubly convinced that this November 10th drop dead date is bogus. There’s no sort of official sourcing I could find that would reasonably give this rumor any sort of credence, and that’s the major reason I wouldn’t pay these reports any mind.
As we saw with this summer’s Test Track 2.0 closure at Epcot, a ride closure of something as massive as Kingda Ka is usually announced with a press statement that states this intention. That gives fans plenty of time to make their final pilgrimage to said attraction, post their farewells on social media, and purchase potential commemorative merch that honors the end of an era.
Not to mention, Kingda Ka's closure would technically count as two attractions being lost. That's thanks to Zumanjoro: Drop of Doom, the drop tower ride that's attached to that gigantic top hat that makes up the centerpiece of this steel beast. As luck would have it, this argument happens to have a little bit of gas in the tank, thanks to some official corporate business.
Six Flags’ Latest Quarterly Report Supports Those Key Reasons To Keep Kingda Ka Open
Ride closures are an event, especially in the theme park community of the modern internet. How else would we get those final ride through videos, and lists of Disneyland/Disney World rides we still wish existed? The truth is that sort of buzz generates money in all sorts of ways, as I’d previously highlighted.
If Kingda Ka is going to go away, it’s not going to be with a whimper. That’s a point I’m even more convinced is right, thanks to some language from the recently-released Six Flags/Cedar Fair’s Q3 2024 results. Take a look at this section of Six Flags President and CEO Richard A. Zimmerman’s commentary:
Since completing the Merger, we have been finding ways to operate more efficiently and reducing unnecessary costs while still delivering a high level of guest service. … While we intend to invest back into our parks to enhance the guest experience and drive attendance growth, we are focused on funding those efforts with additional cost savings across the portfolio, allowing us to retain 100% of the realized synergies.
Richard A. Zimmerman, Six Flags President and CEO
Now my 100% armchair interpretation of this segment I’ve highlighted is that since Six Flags and Cedar Fair have merged, they know they need to look at what’s working and what isn’t. Anybody can tell you that, but it’s an important thing to keep in mind, especially when guests are already paying their respects to Kingda Ka after the mere whisper of its demise.
Wherever this rumor may have started, it may have served the purpose of showing how much people actually love the ride. Does all of this rationalization mean we’ll see a full reprieve for Kingda Ka? Absolutely not. The thrill ride is hitting its 20th anniversary at the beginning of the next season, and I’m sure a thrill ride this intense takes a lot of maintenance.
But I don’t think a ride as well known and as long running as this one is going to go quietly during a weekend in November. That’s like a crowd not cheering a Jurassic World VelociCoaster rollback; which, coincidentally enough, also happens from time to time on Kingda Ka.
Further Six Flags Rumors Indicate An Even Larger Replacement Would Be Needed
I could absolutely be wrong, and that possibility leads to another big question we should really be asking ourselves. Which possibility is the least expensive: repairing and revamping Kingda Ka, or just pulling the plug? Those potential costs would also include building and marketing something new in Six Flags Great Adventure, as well as the metaphorical cost of having this record breaking thrill ride down when The Flash: Vertical Velocity is supposed to open in spring 2025.
Now take that concern and multiply it by three; four times if you count Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom, which is literally attached to Kingda Ka. That’s thanks to an expansion to this rumor I’ve just learned about, through this video out of The Coaster Spot:
The rumors that Twister and Green Lantern are also closing on November 10th are just as questionable as Kingda Ka’s potential departure, especially with no official statements to confirm them. However, taking this pattern into account, it’s starting to sound like Six Flags Great Adventure could be considering something new spanning the Golden Kingdom and Boardwalk sections.
If that’s the case, this project just got bigger than that story about Mathew McConaughey losing his phone at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Since something needs to replace these rides, and all of the items in question are on the chopping block, there would need to be a lot of planning, preparation, and announcements to let the park going public know. Since we haven’t seen that yet, I’m only further convinced that Kingda Ka will still be here for a little while longer; at the very least, one more season.
We’ll just have to wait and see if the brass at Six Flags/Cedar Fair make some sort of announcement in the weeks to come. But for now, if you’re really worried about missing out on riding any of the rides mentioned above, make your way to Six Flags Great Adventure by Sunday, November 10th just in case.
