Latest news with #KingdaKa
USA Today
02-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Six Flags closure: 2 parks to shutter in Maryland, to be sold for redevelopment
Six Flags closure: 2 parks to shutter in Maryland, to be sold for redevelopment Show Caption Hide Caption Kingda Ka implodes to make way for new Six Flags ride The world's tallest and second-fastest roller coaster, Kingda Ka, has finally been torn down in a controlled implosion at Six Flags Great Adventure. Six Flags will close two parks in Maryland this fall. The amusement park company said Thursday that the almost 500-acre property in Prince Georges County, approximately 15 miles east of Washington, D.C., will be sold for redevelopment. The property is the home of Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor. "After reviewing a number of options, we believe that marketing the property for redevelopment will generate the highest value and return on investment," Six Flags President & CEO Richard A. Zimmerman said in the announcement. The final day for the parks will be Nov. 2 and season passes and tickets will be honored until the parks close. Acting Prince George's County executive Tara Jackson told radio station WTOP that the county is "committed to working closely with Six Flags and other stakeholders to guide a thoughtful and inclusive redevelopment process that supports jobs, growth and long-term community benefit." Park closures not anticipated to affect Six Flags' bottom line The parks employed approximately 70 full-time associates who will receive severance and benefits if they are eligible, the company said. 'We are grateful to our park associates who work hard to create lifelong memories for our guests, and Six Flags is committed to supporting all impacted associates through the closure process at the end of this year," Zimmerman said. Six Flags said that it does not anticipate the closures will have a material impact on its financial results this year. The company will operate 40 parks and resorts across North America following the closures.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cedar Point set to reopen May 3 with revamped Top Thrill 2
When Cedar Point reopens on May 3, the Ohio amusement park's re-engineered and renamed roller coaster — Top Thrill 2, what ride enthusiasts like to call TT2 — is set to once again reign as the world's tallest ride. "It's been a long winter, but the entire Cedar Point team is ready to once again welcome guests," Colleen Murphy-Brady, Cedar Point's vice president of park operations, announced Monday. "We can't wait to see them here again!" TT2 opened last year, but at the time was No. 2 — and beset by problems. And those eager to ride Siren's Curse, another record-breaking thriller at the park, which was announced last fall with much fanfare and is still under construction, will have to continue to wait a few more weeks. The park said that Siren's Curse, billed as "North America's tallest, fastest, and longest tilt roller coaster," is set to debut in the summer. Officials did not give a specific date. More: Cedar Point, much-anticipated new Top Thrill ride, opens Saturday with new rules Near Sandusky, the vacation destination off Lake Erie is now the second-oldest operating amusement park in America and has long been associated with record-breaking, gravity-defying rides that remind visitors that they are still alive. Visits to the park have long been a rite of passage, a badge of courage, and a favorite summer camp outing. Cedar Point announced some minor park upgrades that would be open Saturday, including new eateries — a "star-spudded" Happy Friar fresh-cut fry joint, and a Famous Dave's Restaurant — and a new lineup of live entertainment. Last year, Cedar Point's owner, Cedar Fair, merged with Six Flags to form one of the nation's largest theme park companies, with dozens of theme parks, water parks, and resort properties throughout North America. Known as Top Thrill Dragster when it opened in 2003, TT2 was the first roller coaster built to be over 400 feet tall and, at the time, was the tallest roller coaster and fastest coaster in the world. Both records were broken in 2005 by Kingda Ka in New Jersey. By 2010, Formula Rossa at Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, debuted, breaking the world speed record. But late last year, however, Kingda Ka permanently closed, leaving TT2 as the tallest coaster again. That distinction, however, is being threatened again by Falcons Flight, a new roller coaster at Six Flags Qiddiya in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that is expected to become the world's tallest, fastest, and longest thrill ride when it opens later this year. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Cedar Point set to reopen May 3 with revamped Top Thrill 2
CBS News
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Six Flags' The Flash: Vertical Velocity roller coaster opens this weekend. Here's what it's like to ride.
Six Flags Great Adventure is days away from opening, and many thrill seekers will be headed for The Flash: Vertical Velocity coaster, the first "super boomerang" roller coaster in North America. The brand new roller coaster will be ready when the park opens for the season on Saturday, March 29. On Thursday, CBS News Philadelphia got a sneak peek — a chance to ride it multiple times. "Boomerang" coasters are so named because they take you through sections of the track forwards, and then go in reverse. So you'll get to experience the same loops, barrell rolls and vertical spikes forwards and backwards! A super boomerang coaster takes that same boomerang concept and uses a launch system instead of lifts, and has a longer layout, according to roller coaster designer Vekoma. Ryan Eldredge, regional manager of public relations for Six Flags, tells us the coaster reaches 172 feet (or 17 stories) high and has a top speed of 59 mph. Somehow, Ryan was able to get all those words out while riding the coaster — a true pro. "We're going to get a lot of air time," Eldredge said. "You nervous?" The coaster starts by taking riders out of the station forwards before launching them backwards. Then it's back through the start point, much faster this time, before going upside-down. From there, there's a camelback, a barrel roll and a sharp turn upward — before going backward through it all over again. Check out the video above for a look at the ride in daylight! The Flash is not the only new coaster coming to Great Adventure. After demolishing Kingda Ka and some other rides over the winter, Six Flags is working on a multi-world-record-breaking coaster that will occupy that space. That new coaster is set to open in 2026. There is one other "Super Boomerang" coaster in the world called Cloud Shuttle - it's at Fantawild Wonderland in Xuzhou, China .
The Independent
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
World's tallest rollercoaster Kingda Ka destroyed in implosion
Kingda Ka, the world's tallest roller coaster, was demolished on Friday morning (28 February) at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. Authorities warned residents about 'a series of rapid explosions' prior to the controlled implosion, advising them to keep pets indoors, while assuring that all necessary safety measures were in place for a controlled and secure demolition. The 456ft (139m) coaster, which opened in 2005, had stood for nearly two decades before being scrapped as part of the park's transformation plan. It is set to be replaced by a new attraction, The Flash: Vertical Velocity, scheduled to open in 2026.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
World's former tallest rollercoaster in New Jersey demolished in spectacular implosion
The 'Kingda Ka', the world's former tallest roller coaster, was demolished in a spectacular implosion at the Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey on February 28. The Kingda Ka was the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster when it opened in 2005, at a height of 456ft and possessing a maximum speed of 128mph. It was demolished to make room for new rides.
