Kingda Ka and Green Lantern's removal for new 2026 record-breaking coaster

[Efteldingus]

So they actually closed the ride (whatever happens to it next) without saying a word ahead of time. No doubt well aware of the spreading rumor discussion. Wow.

Yep

 

[Bathtub Gin]

It'd be great news if after everything, this is just a TT2-style refurb, or whatever Intamin had proposed for TTD. The multiple world records could be tallest spike, and fastest backwards launch.

Whatever they end up doing, I hope it incorporates the existing top hat, as-is. With the removal of Green Lantern, couldn't the launch section be extended backwards (perhaps taking away the need for a swing launch)?

If all of this is wishful thinking, and the entire thing is to end up coming down, I have a sinking feeling that the "record-breaking replacement" will just be that Mack Tower Spinner- exactly as seen in the Cedar Fair surveys... How about that Intamin Figure 8 concept as a replacement, instead?

Edit: Saw the Marcus LeShock update- I guess it was all wishful thinking... Bummer.

 

[TPoseOnTantrum]

A couple of notes on the situation;

There's been no FAA permits filed to my knowledge, which would have to come very far in advance of work happening on a 400-ft-tall structure near an airport. Demolition permits haven't gone up yet either, but that bit is irrelevant. If anything was happening to Ka's structure in the next 3-4 months we'd have to have gotten something by now, if not very soon.

Zumanjaro is also entirely missing from the equation. It's gone up and down over the summer with closure/reopening decisions but we've seen no direct proof of a retirement.

Just overall interesting tidbits in a debate as to whether Ka is being reused or simply fully replaced.

 

[JoshC.]

Names I'd like for this new coaster:

Emperor Ka
2Kingda2Ka
Kingda Ka 2: Electric Boogaloo
Kingda 2
Kingda Ka Inferno
Kingda Ka: The Black Hole

---

Is it out of the question to suggest an Aquatrax?

---

But seriously, it will be interesting to see what they do. Using the existing structure and extending the ride would be interesting. A completely new ride of a significant height would be cool to see just in terms of the industry as a whole. A swing launch conversation a la TT2 would be boring but understandable.

Still a bit shocked it is happening tbf

 

[TPoseOnTantrum]

Zumanjaro is also entirely missing from the equation. It's gone up and down over the summer with closure/reopening decisions but we've seen no direct proof of a retirement.

Okay backing it up, Zumanjaro is indeed gone;

https://twitter.com/x/status/1857080207183585366

 

[TilenB]

I love how someone needed to ask them if the world's tallest drop tower is indeed gone, while the run-off-the-mill parachutes and top spin rides made the announcement.

Their PR team is quite something, huh?

 

[Magic-Man]

Okay, this is absolutely brutal. Wtf is the marketing team doing?!

You close five whole rides without warning, including one of the most famous coasters on the planet. It wasn't like it wasn't planned. They also forgot to announce the removal of one of the worlds tallest flat rides.

Like just thinking about it from a business perspective, they could have sold a ton of closing year merch for Kingda Ka and attendance could have spiked from people trying to get their last rides. That's a ton of money left on the table for no reason.

 

[Rollercoaster David]

I'm quite sad at the loss of the sky ride too. More parks need transport rides like this!

 

[toofpikk]

Personally filled with an absolute sh*tload of resentment. Visited during the busiest time of year just because I figured the chance of it being operational was higher. Not a sniff of KK opening that day, no prior warning, no apology. Really genuinely stunned at SF GAdv's incompetence in the lack of recognition of how significant KK is within the coaster world. They really did just Frank Reynolds one of the world's most iconic coasters:

 

[Dan Nguyen]

Record breaking launch coaster could still mean anything right now.

I'd be bummed to see the KK structure come down but as long as the replacement is better, it doesn't really matter to me in the long run. I definitely have a feeling they're keeping the tower in place but maybe that's hopium talking. I'm just ready for announcement season. All this speculation is driving me crazy lol.

Losing the skyride sucks too but the park isn't too hard to navigate. I'm hoping they have something in place for it but they'd have to start from scratch if they were to replace it and I don't see SF/CF really investing that much into it.

Y'all need to stop harrassing the guest services people lol. They don't get paid enough to deal with everyone.

 

[Crazycoaster]

I’m gunna wait until the new ride announcement to be too annoyed or worried. They may just expand KK and reopen the drop towers once it’s open again, but don’t want to give anything away yet?

 

[Peet]

I'm not convinced the structure and Zumanjaro are coming down, that information seems a bit hazy, my money is still on the structure and maybe even the track being re-used.

 

[Flash Shift]

This is insane. Just barely hinted at and then suddenly happens. Absolute madness, came out of nowhere.

 

[RollerCoastersFrolicking]

the replacement for KA better not be a royal, legendary f--k up like TT2. as I have stated in the past, they better give us something worthy,

I'm hoping for a 700+ foot blitz style coaster with an ACTUAL layout. the least they could do is make the damn thing 639.9ft tall & 155.4mph to claim the height & speed record.

it also better have an actually nice name & not somthing like Top Thrill 2, iron menace, or kingda ka's revenge.

(I feel like Kingda ka: return of the king, would be a decent name)

however as someone stated, be prepaired to be disappointed by the replacement for KA Just In Case .


I also think we should be keep an eye on xcelerator at Knott's. that could be limited on life as well.

edit: added xcelerator portion

 

[Callum]

The park have handled this terribly. Its a shame they couldn't keep it open for its 20 years and give it a send of it deserves.

 

[Boodangy]

Gotta say can't help but feel like the coaster community as a whole was so brutal (all their comments sections are absolute poison for the past couple weeks) towards ElToroRyan, Coaster Studios and everyone else who came out so sure that it'd close forever on Sunday just because they didn't like the idea and didn't wanna believe it.

Like I get not trusting word of mouth as a principle or not liking CS a bunch but demands to reveal sources was stupid for obvious reasons (basically demands to get park staff fired) and keeping in mind the amount of Ka fans who made long treks to ride the ride by Sunday and the ride ops were flying like it was their last day to get trains out (because it was) all the hostility just seems unnecessary in hindsight.

 

[owenstreet7]

It surprised me that Six Flags decided to close Kingda Ka without any sort of announcement on the year of closing. No last rides event or anything. It went after a regular last day of season where people expected it to come back.

They could've easily said it was coming back next year after it was torn down. This happened with Wild Mouse at Blackpool a few years ago and there was a huge uproar at the time

I'm thinking the new 2026 coaster could easily be an extension of Kingda Ka with an LSM conversion, a spike multi pass launch, a figure of 8 after the airtime hill, followed by an airtime hill and break run. Almost like Xcelerator at Knotts but bigger and better.

That would be spectacular and world class - Kingda Ka: Rejuvenated

 

[roomraider]

It surprised me that Six Flags decided to close Kingda Ka without any sort of announcement on the year of closing. No last rides event or anything. It went after a regular last day of season where people expected it to come back.

They could've easily said it was coming back next year after it was torn down. This happened with Wild Mouse at Blackpool a few years ago and there was a huge uproar at the time

I'm thinking the new 2026 coaster could easily be an extension of Kingda Ka with an LSM conversion, a spike multi pass launch, a figure of 8 after the airtime hill, followed by an airtime hill and break run. Almost like Xcelerator at Knotts but bigger and better.

That would be spectacular and world class - Kingda Ka: Rejuvenated

Unfortunately. Looking at that list of new rides they've mentioned for 2026 they pretty much exactly line up with the surveys sent out not that long ago.

I'm stealing the annotated image at the bottom of this post from CP6 over on discord because I can't be bothered to make my own but they line up.

Looking at all the options suggested in the round of surveys earlier this year we have.


Well this lines up with the Six Flags Over Texas getting a record breaking Dive Machine.


Record breaking water ride you say? Well that lines up nicely with Carowinds and/or Canada's Wonderland


First of its kind coaster in the USA, this lines up with SFMM nicely (think the German one should be open by then so it won't be first in the world)


Well we all know where this one ended up, not at an SF park but CF swooped in and sent it to Cedar Point


Junior Thrill Coaster with backwards sections. Sounds to me like it matches up with the SFM one.


And the only one left the one no one wants to think about. The record breaking launch coaster that just happens to fit in a recently vacated spot of land in New Jersey.... I hope it isn't this for SFGAdv but it all fits annoyingly well.

I hope I (and CP6) are wrong.

 

[cookie]

Unfortunately. Looking at that list of new rides they've mentioned for 2026 they pretty much exactly line up with the surveys sent out not that long ago.

I'm stealing the annotated image at the bottom of this post from CP6 over on discord because I can't be bothered to make my own but they line up.

Looking at all the options suggested in the round of surveys earlier this year we have.

View attachment 35036
Well this lines up with the Six Flags Over Texas getting a record breaking Dive Machine.

View attachment 35040
Record breaking water ride you say? Well that lines up nicely with Carowinds and/or Canada's Wonderland

View attachment 35037
First of its kind coaster in the USA, this lines up with SFMM nicely (think the German one should be open by then so it won't be first in the world)

View attachment 35034
Well we all know where this one ended up, not at an SF park but CF swooped in and sent it to Cedar Point

View attachment 35035
Junior Thrill Coaster with backwards sections. Sounds to me like it matches up with the SFM one.

View attachment 35038
And the only one left the one no one wants to think about. The record breaking launch coaster that just happens to fit in a recently vacated spot of land in New Jersey.... I hope it isn't this for SFGAdv but it all fits annoyingly well.

I hope I (and CP6) are wrong.

View attachment 35039

Wouldn’t Aquaman Power Wave technically be America’s first launched water coaster?

 

[ECG]

No announcement from the park, but last rides will be on Sunday.

Yeah no, not happening. Kingda Ka's going nowhere.

I don't post anything without having a reliable source.