Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom’s largest roller coaster, Chang, is on the move. The rumors of the ride’s removal were confirmed today. I noticed that NewsPlusNotes posted a link to a WLKY.com article about Chang’s Removal for a Water Park Expansion.
Destination Unknown & Six Flags Coaster Exchange Program?
While Chang’s new home is unknown, rumors are that the B&M stand-up looper is on its way to Six Flags Great America near Chicago, IL. The article mentions that Kentucky Kingdom will be giving the ride to another amusement park. This could hint to the chain’s 50th anniversary in 2011. Some are pointing out that the Six Flags parks gave gifts to each other in a kind of ride/roller coaster exchange program during the last big anniversary. The odd thing about the Great America rumor is that the park already has a stand-up coaster in Iron Wolf. It was B&M’s very first roller coaster. Maybe they will retire that ride next year and install Chang in 2011. We’ll have to wait and see. I’m looking forward to seeing more of this coaster swapping going in the next few years.
Future of Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom
It’s not looking good for Kentucky Kingdom. In recent years roller coasters, like the dueling woodie Twisted Sisters, have been SBNO (standing, but not operating). Kentucky Kingdom hasn’t received a new roller coaster since 2003 while the water park has seen continued growth. Many have thought that the park may be transitioning to a water park. Maybe this is the beginning of the end of Kentucky Kingdom and the start of a new water park only era much like the fate of Geauga Lake.
Whichever Six Flags receives Chang will be very lucky. Chang is my all-time favorite stand-up coaster. Read my full review of Chang at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom.
What’s Your Take?
What do you think of Chang’s removal? Which Six Flags park do you think should get Chang? Leave a comment below.
September 22, 2009 at 03:01
Interesting. Chang is the signature ride at SFKK. Will Six Flags replace it, or sell the park? I think that even KK made a profit. My guess is that it will recieve another relocation. Relocating the rides isn't a bad idea. Instead of building a ride, you can relocate it for a quarter of the cost. It isn't like the guests can figure it out….
P.S. The Serial Thriller from Astroworld is being moved to La Ronde, even though they have a batman clone, Vampire. Even ol' Duane from RCDB says,"I don't know, don't ask me."
July 16, 2010 at 16:37
I just found out that they are moving it to great adventure. That is why there gretting rid of the great american scream
September 22, 2009 at 04:22
funny, i was just going to tell you guys this
September 22, 2009 at 11:16
I hope It goes to my home park, Six flags America. It needs a new coaster and fast. Preferably a B&M, And it would be cool to see this pop up there
September 22, 2009 at 11:58
I hope they move it to great america I love near it and there hasn't been a good new ride since superman ultimate flight
September 22, 2009 at 13:40
I hope that it either gets moved to SF America or Fiesta Texas, they could both use a stand-up. However, Great Adventure is a major SF park without a stand-up, so it could possibly show up there. SF Great America already has a stand-up, but Chang is WAY better than Iron Wolf, so it actually could show up there too. I rode Chang in 2009, great ride!
September 22, 2009 at 14:41
If they put it anywhere i hope they put it at my home park the great escape. the great escape definitley needs it more than any other six flags theame park, and any one who`s been reading the reports probably knows that six flags has been improving the park ever since they bought it. the great escape is bassicaly a liitle kids dream of a theme park. also you know how they moved the serial thriller to la ronde, they moved it FROM the great escape. also, seing the picture, chang wuould probably fitin the great ecsapes woodland area (where they stored the serial thriller) would fit chang perfectley, and just imagine Chang as a terrain coaster!
PS – sf said they would make a new generator for the park so they could store more rides. automaticaly, i assumed that they added it to use for TST but now that they moved it what do you assume they`ll us it for?
October 11, 2010 at 15:31
I dunno… SFNE is kinda low on coasters too. Plus they are getting a new one in 2011
September 22, 2009 at 16:17
I live in middle Tenn., kinda far from many amusement parks, but SFKK seemed to be the closest (besides beech bend but thats a different story). Now since they removed Chang, I just don't see a reason to go for a 3.5 hour drive for a mainly waterpark. I'd much rather travel the extra hour to go to SFoG, SF St. Louis, or even Dollywood!!!
September 23, 2009 at 21:08
It is going to great america in chicago, but not until 2011
September 24, 2009 at 09:48
Well, the question we need to ask which park is in need of a coaster of this magnitude.
Lance of Screamscape may be right with SFGAm.
He May not.
Personally, SFAm would probably benefit the most from this coaster. Either them or SFGAm.
I also think this coaster will continue a trend…
Brizarro Stand-Up
All they would have to do is repaint the track purple(the track is likely to recieve and new color).
New trains with soundsystems.
ect.
It's a possibility.
September 24, 2009 at 20:27
Call me slow or something, but to dismantle and move a huge coaster of this size piece by piece from one part of the country, to another, and then having to clear space, pour more concrete footers, etc., wouldn't it be cheaper just to build a new one and keep the one where it is currently? I dunno. Just seems like a lot of work to take one apart and put it back together piece by piece. I mean, we're not talking a simple-complex-car-engine here, we're talking about something HUGE. I know they did this at KD with the coaster at the front of the park, but I can see how they would justify that, because the park it came from was going out of business. Is it just me? Any other thoughs? It must cost almost as much as building one from scratch I'd think by the time you place in the labor of taking it apart and shipping it hundreds of miles away, piece by piece.
September 24, 2009 at 20:59
Rollercoaster Dude, that's a good question. You're not slow. According to RCDB, Chang costs $12 million to build in 1997. Maybe that'd cost $15 mill. to build today with inflation. I'll have to investigate how much it costs to move rides. I've seen figures before of how much it costs Cedar Fair to move Carolina Cobra from Geauga to Carowinds. It's much less than building a new ride. Maybe I'll try to research this one.
September 25, 2009 at 06:39
Guys I have a question
Is B&M coaster designers, or track maker pplz
September 25, 2009 at 09:56
B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard) are a team of roller coaster designers. Maybe I should add some Coasterology 101 posts about some of the major designers. Hmmm….
September 25, 2009 at 10:41
thx C.C.
September 30, 2009 at 16:27
They might as well just get rid of the other coasters too. Without Chang it might as well become a waterpark only. Nobody will come to the park without Chang. All the other coasters are too small or in the case of T2 just plain bad. Kings Island are where most people go in Louisville anyway.
October 6, 2009 at 06:24
I live in Louisville, and until hearing of this I was a season pass holder almost every year. T2 is a big POS and I thought it was going to fall apart last time I rode it, and I really don't know why they don't take it down Now that they're taking down Chang I have no reason to go to SFKK anymore. That park is dying on the vine, and they think that tearing down the best coaster they have there and replacing it with another water ride that will operate only 3 months out of the year is a good idea???
October 6, 2009 at 16:11
ZR7, I have never been to SFKK, or any Six Flags park, but if what you're saying about Chang being their best ride, this decision is just plain dumb. From what I've heard, Chang may be their only hope, and now they're getting rid of it???? Good-bye, and good riddance, SFKK.
October 10, 2009 at 05:22
Honestly, the only reason they are removing Chang now is to get it ready to be put up in 2011 at a certain park. Mark Shapiro stated when talking about Terminator that the theming of that ride would be used as a benchmark for the new additions to their parks. So they will have to paint the ride and cars most likely and they will need to order a new train because currently Chang only has two trains. It will need three in a big market. It is the only ride in that park worth saving so that is why it is being removed and sent to another park. Nobody wants T2 Twister Twins and Greezeed Lighting is too old most likely to live for much longer. They will all be scrap in the next few years.
October 11, 2009 at 18:09
T2 needs to be scrap. That coaster is 2 years older than Chang. It's desperately in need of repair, and has only had one train running for as long as I can remember. T2 feels like it's going to shake the seats off the train, and has gotten so much worse this year.
With Chang gone, and T2 in bad shape, that only leaves Thunder Run as the only halfway decent, operating coaster there. I prefer steel coasters though.
I doubt that I'd get season passes again anytime in the future, but if I do it'll only be to use them at other SF parks. St. Louis is a wonderful park, and there's more SF parks that I haven't been to yet.
October 31, 2009 at 16:31
I heard Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom by 2011 will be 90% Water Park. The only big ride they will be keeping is : The Big Ferris Wheel. They will tear down all the other Roller coasters and probley sell them off. Also the same company that owns Cedar Point Amusement park also owns Six Flags. And not to mention the lawsuit Kaytlin Lassater has against the park, they can't afford to fix any of the roller coasters, so they will sell them off, and convert to a water Park: Their new name will probley be : Kentucky Splash Water Kingdom..
October 11, 2010 at 15:25
I had no idea that Cedar entertainment llc owned Six Flags. Actually, I doubt that.
November 1, 2009 at 04:54
Amanda, you just Jinxed it. I doubt it will be kentucky splashwater kingdom but seeing how six flags can never come up whith their own names, maybe.