Six Flags Ride Rotation Rumors

From JJ2K at Great Adventure History forums:

The mumblings I'm hearing from within the park all seem to be pointing to this season quite possibly being the last season for Bizarro. From what I have been able to piece together and again I can't confirm any of this but it does come from a collection of reliable sources is that all of the parks in the SF chain were asked to submit to corporate a coaster to be put on the "list" for ride rotation. Gadv was told they could not submit SUF because Gam had already put their SUF on the list so there was absolutely no other choice that could be made Bizarro was pretty much forced on the list.

More things I'm hearing suggest that the five "big parks": Gadv, MM, Gam, oT & oG are all required to give a coaster to the ride rotation program once every 5 years....Gam & MM have already done so. One source of mine claims however that gadv, MM & Gam have three coasters on their 5 year plans. The push that seems to be getting made right now for this year is that Bizarro is out...IMO its likely destination is between SFstl & SFoT. And 2013 we will be getting an all new B&M coaster in its spot.....I have my fingers crossed its a B&M 4D and NOT a wing rider.....but the hurtful pit in the bottom of my stomach tells me its a wing rider which makes me angry cause I've been actively posting that I wanted a B&M 4D since 2003! And you know if we get a wing rider it means you can kiss a B&M 4D goodbye

This kind of makes me worried about some of the rides at SFMM... hopefully X2, Riddler (though it's likely), Goliath, and Tatsu (very unlikely) stay far away from the list. And for SFOG, I don't want their Goliath on the list either (though it's very unlikely, since it's the signature ride of SFOG).

As of this moment, SFMM has submitted Deja Vu into the list (Goliath at SFNE) and SFGAm also submitted a coaster, Iron Wolf (Apocalypse at SFA). Now Bizarro (SFGAdv) may be removed as well. So here's some speculation from yours truly (with the bold meaning confirmed and italic meaning rumored):

SFMM: Deja Vu, Scream, and Riddler
SFGAdv: Bizarro... not so sure about the others
SFOT: Mr. Freeze, Flashback, and Pandemonium
SFOG: Georgia Scorcher... IDK about the others on this one either
SFGAm: Iron Wolf, Superman: Ultimate Flight, and Rajin' Cajun

I'm not sure that I like the concept of this that much. Some of the rides listed above (SFOG, SFMM) are either ones I like, or are ones (or ONE) that I haven't ridden yet, however I was in the park.

It should be interesting though to see where these rides end up (or if these rides even get moved). I'm also curious as to wondering what SFGAdv has in mind for Bizarro's plot. Could we be seeing another Wing Coaster or something new entirely (or even one of the other rides listed above)?

Awesome B&M Wing Coasters Ahoy!

The B&M Wing Coasters, as some of you may know, are continuing to spread around the world, since Raptor's opening earlier this year. From going beyond 200 ft tall, utilizing a "keyhole" element, incline Immelmanns, vertical loops, and using a twist n' dive for a drop, as well as finally landing on American soil, these rides have made progress. Now let's see how the newest ones are doing:

Wild Eagle:

Right before it was announced, supports were going up for Wild Eagle at Dollywood, the tallest of the B&M Wing Coasters. I was stunned at how much work has occurred since then:

October 3, 2011 - The station track/bottom of the lift (which is VERY close to the ground) is already up.

October 4, 2011 - The trains are revealed.

October 5, 2011 - More of the lift has gone up.

October 6, 2011 - The lift hill is near its top.

October 7, 2011 - The lift hill has been topped off.

October 9, 2011 - The beginning of the drop is installed.

Here are some pics of the trains released by Dollywood:






























And here is the latest pic of the ride (from Bryce232 at ThemeParkReview):



















That looks impressive! But check out this image (from Dollywood):
















Oh my goodness, THAT is the true meaning of impressive my friends and acquaintances! I never thought Wild Eagle would utilize THIS much terrain! =O

This is the closest Wing Coaster to Florida... all the way in Tennessee. Come on IOA, build me a Wing Coaster!

X-Flight:

Track has arrived on site on Wednesday (from SFGAm's Facebook Account) (stairs have arrived on October 2nd):

































































As for what is going on in the main construction site (Splashwater Fall's old site), land clearing is in progress, and the entire area is gutted. Pretty much only the old Antique Cars station and garage remains (with the garage apparently staying).

Swarm:

http://www.ukparknews.co.uk/entry/cms/?p=6474

Vertical construction has also begun on Swarm. Here is an overview from yesterday (from bundy2989 at ThemeParkReview):

















I really can't wait to see the look of the Twist n' Dive! With us supposedly going to England next year, we *might* get to visit Thorpe Park, so Swarm may be my first Wing Coaster!

Hopefully IOA builds one of these bad boys in the future! >=)

Much Needed Blog Post (Wing Coasters too!)

Sorry for not posting much lately, but I was in Band Camp (yes I'm back in band) and school just started recently. I unfortunately was tangled up in all this (still had fun though) and I totally forgot to post updates on recent new 2012 coaster announcements (a bunch of Six Flags park announcements, Canada's Wonderland, Carowinds, Kings Dominion, Dollywood, Kings Island, and Cedar Point).

Now it is time to discuss the evolution of the Wing Coaster from B&M. We all know about Thorpe Park with Swarm, but now Dollywood in Tennessee and Six Flags Great America (two possibilities that I posted about) have announced America's first two Wing Coasters (with Dollywood's opening first). I'll post about them later, but I can at least give you the names:

WILD EAGLE for Dollywood
X-FLIGHT for Six Flags Great America

I have a lot to post later, so just hold your horses! ;)

Iron Wolf On the Move (Plus SFGAm 2012 Rumors)!

http://www.facebook.com/SFGreatAmerica/posts/10150252058661356

After a long 21 year history at the park, we will be removing Iron Wolf. Make sure to get your last rides in – Iron Wolf’s Last Stand is September 5.

Well this is it for Iron Wolf at SFGAm. I'm glad they are supposedly moving it though.

So yeah, recently the rumors of Iron Wolf being moved to Six Flags America came back. In the SFA front, Skull Mountain is closed and construction walls are built around it. Permits have also been filed for a "Stand Up Coaster:"













So Iron Wolf will still live. I'm glad for that, because of nostalgic value. It is B&M's first coaster. Sure, the ride is supposedly painful, but I respect B&M history! =P And supposedly (Screamscape):

(7/25/11) I’ve heard a new rumor claiming that when Iron Wolf comes to Six Flags America, it will likely feature new modern style B&M Stand-Up trains and be renamed / rethemed to have some kind of Apocalypse theme. Could they possibly reuse the same basic theme that was used on the former Terminator Salvation wooden coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain earlier this year?

This is exactly what I wanted to happen to Iron Wolf. New trains would be cool. And is it just me, or are parks getting in to Apocalypse themes (I wonder what will happen once December 21st, 2012 passes and the world doesn't end ;P)?

On the SFGAm front, it looks like it will receive a much better replacement (Screamscape):

2012 - X-Flight / New Coaster - Rumor - (8/12/11) Six Flags has just filed for a new trademark on the name X-Flight, which sounds perfect for the rumored B&M Wing Coaster for 2012 I think.
(7/29/11) With all the coaster swapping taking place in 2012 at Six Flags, it’s almost like the old Six Flags Ride Rotation Program is back again isn’t it? Iron Wolf may go to SF America, Déjà Vu at Magic Mountain may go to New England… and then there is that long rumored coaster for Great America.
Rest assured fans… 2012 may very well be the year you have been waiting for, when SFGAm will have the eyes of the world upon it to check out a fairly new piece of coaster technology coming to the US for the first time in 2012. And since the park is losing the first ever B&M coaster, it’s only fitting to replace it with a new B&M coaster don’t you think? How would you feel about a B&M Wing Coaster coming to the park for 2012? It just may happen… stay tuned!

So for 2012, Wing Coasters are starting to take over America (Dollywood is rumored to get one and now SFGAm)! I hope this is true, and hopefully one will come to Florida in the process (Pteranodon-themed Wing Coaster in IOA's Jurassic Park... just saying)! Out of the country, Thorpe Park announced THE SWARM recently (yes, I'm going to post about that).

About "X-Flight"... time for some history. Originally Six Flags built a Vekoma Flying Dutchman in Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (now Geauga Lake which became Wildwater Kingdom) called X-Flight. In 2004, however, Six Flags sold the park to Cedar Fair, though afterwords the name was kept. I hope this is the name of the coaster; sounds like a really cool name!

So I'm looking forward to finding out what comes to SFGAm in 2012! =)

Some Really Big Six Flags Rumors

Screamscape posted updates about 3 Six Flags parks getting new rides for 2012. And when I say "rides," I mean one gets a coaster and two get some flat rides. So those three: Six Flags Magic Mountain, Six Flags Great Adventure, and Six Flags America.

Six Flags Magic Mountain:

2012 - New Thrill Ride - Rumor - (6/13/11) While I don’t know too many details, I’m hearing that a new thrill ride is on the way to Magic Mountain for 2012 for sure. However… this will not be a coaster, or so I’m told. Since the park has been lacking a good tower ride for some time now, I’m kind of hoping they install a three or four leg S&S Space Shot / Combo tower creation myself as I think anything less may just lack the capacity needed here.

So Screamscape is reporting a SFMM 2012 thrill ride, and will not be a coaster. For some reason, this quote from Screamscape seems to shed some light on the subject:

(7/27/10) The latest rumors suggest that the clearing in the old Sierra Twist spot is for a new restaurant location only and not a new ride. Even more bad news… I’m hearing rumors suggesting that not only is Thrill Shot going to be removed later this year, but this may be the last season for Tidal Wave as well. Between the removed Tidal Wave and the former Freefall location, that does open up a large spot of land for something new at least.

Of course, Thrill Shot is still in the park, but rumors are still spreading about its demise:

(2/21/11) The one rumor that keeps coming back over and over to me is that a new track for the Go-Karts may possibly be added to a section of the old Bugs Bunny National Park area. I’m not 100% of this one, so keep your eyes peeled for any activity in that area as spring approaches. One more odd rumor has come in as well, claiming that the park could be looking at bringing in the S&S Thrill Shot from SF Magic Mountain as well later this season.
On a side note, I’ve also heard a rumor that the old Great America Raceway (antique cars) ride may also not operate for the 2011 season. Given that the cars run around perimeter of the former shoot the chutes ride removed a couple of seasons ago, I’ve got a feeling that if this is true, this is likely going to be the site of the rumored 2012 coaster project.

Well, the Thrill Shot spot seems perfect for a drop tower or SkyScreamer clone. I would prefer a drop tower, but those SkyScreamers sound sick (Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Six Flags St. Louis).

Six Flags Great Adventure:

2012 - New Flat Ride Package - Rumor - (6/13/11) The latest buzz on Six Flags Great Adventure claims that the park may be looking to obtain a nice small Flat Ride package for the 2012 season to help offset some of the lost capacity as various other rides have been removed over the past several years.

Hmmm... I wonder if they are going to fill in some empty spaces in the park. I hope for bumper cars or something.

Six Flags America:

2012 - New Attraction - Rumor - (6/13/11) I’m really not too sure about this particular rumor… so take this with a grain of salt, but one e-mail sent in claims that Iron Wolf may be moved from SFGAm and sent to SFA as the new coaster for 2012, where I believe it would fit into the site rather easily. I’m just not sure if SFGAm is ready to let go of another coaster just yet, unless they’re getting something better to replace it, so for now just keep this one in the back of your mind.
(5/24/11) I’m not sure how solid this rumor is, but I’ve heard it said that B&M may be in talks with Six Flags America about a future project. Earlier this year we did hear that the park was on the short-list of parks for consideration for a new coaster as early as 2012. Stay tuned.
(4/18/11) I don’t have any details, but the early rumors suggest that Six Flags America may finally get a much needed new addition to the park in 2012. Stay tuned!

Park News - (6/10/11) In a surprising bit of news, Six Flags America has announced that Skull Mountain, the flume ride formerly known as the Typhoon Sea Coaster, will close forever after July 10th to make way for a large new attraction in 2012.The park will put on a few special opportunities to bid the ride farewell, such as placing a boat on the midway for pictures and a special Fair Thee Well Weekend sendoff on July 9-10, special pirate makeovers and even a “Last Ride” auction with the proceeds going to fund the National Roller Coaster Museum. You’ve been warned… so get to the park now for one last ride before Skull Mountain is forced to “Walk the plank!”
While we’re on the subject of Six Flags America, CoasterFusion has also published a very detailed trip report from the park this week, so click here and take a look at what’s going on this season at the park.

While I'd rather see a brand new B&M at Six Flags America than a relocated one, I've always thought (since the Chang fiasco at SFGAm) that if Iron Wolf were to be removed, it should be relocated, not scrapped. At least SFA is finally getting something related to a new coaster (relocated counts to me). =)

I kind of feel a little bad for SFGAm though... =/

What If...? #2

I heard that Six Flags Dubailand is building a B&M Dive Machine with their park called Screamin' Eagle. I've seen some concept art and it looks so cool! So now this topic is...:

What if... a Six Flags park in America will clone this coaster or add a Dive Machine to that particular Six Flags park for the 2012 season? Again, I'd like to remind you that this is just speculation. This will probably not happen. Or probably WILL happen. Who knows? So what Six Flags park in America would add a new B&M Dive Machine for the 2012 season?

Six Flags America could probably be ruled out (even though I hope not). I heard a rumor that a Tony Hawk's Big Spin clone could be coming to SFA in 2011 (though with Shapiro out, I'm not sure), so don't really expect much in 2012. I'm ruling out Six Flags Great Adventure since they're getting Chang for 2011 and possibly some flats, so don't expect much, if anything at all, for 2012. Six Flags New England is rumored for a new coaster for 2011, so that's ruled out too. I'm also ruling out Six Flags Over Georgia, since they're also rumored for a new coaster in 2011. Six Flags Over Texas can be ruled out too, because they're throwing in a lot of money on the Texas Giant refurbishment. Six Flags St. Louis is rumored for a Screamin' Eagle refurbishment, but I'm not ruling this out yet. It seems like a possibility, but not the MOST possible. Six Flags Fiesta Texas is rumored to refurbish Rattler in the 2010-2012 time period, so I'm probably going to rule this out too. Great Escape isn't rumored for much, so IDK. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom seems possible, but I'm not sure honestly. La Ronde just added Ednor from AstroWorld, so probably not. Mexico, I don't know why... but I doubt it.

So... who's left...? Six Flags Magic Mountain and Six Flags Great America. I'll first start with SFGAm (which, BTW, was rumored for a Dive Machine for 2009 along with SFGAdv).

Recently, rumor has it that 2012 will bring a new coaster. In 2011, they are getting a water park expansion (at least, that's what I think). BTW, if you haven't been following this, I'll post the updates so far:

2012 - New Ride - Rumor - (8/27/10) The early rumors for 2012 still claim that the park is right on track to finally get a new big coaster once again. No word on just what it might be yet, so stay tuned.
(8/3/10) It’s been some time, but there is an early rumor suggesting that a new coaster may finally be on the way to the park for 2012. The only problem is… it’s not expected to “the big one” that everyone has been hoping to get for some time now. After all, the last big coaster added to the park was back in 2003! A decade is a long time to wait for a new large coaster my friends…
(7/22/10) According to one reader, they spotted survey crews doing work in the former Splashwater Falls area. Looks like they may be working on something here after all, but for 2012 or 2011?
(7/19/10) Remember that rumor about a new flume ride in development for the park? If the latest rumor is true, they could be speaking to Mack about building a new Super Splash ride for them to replace the old Splashwater Falls ride for as early as 2012. More when we find out.

2011 - New Attraction(s) - Rumor - (8/27/10) SFGAm has posted a teaser for a 2011 announcement to their Facebook page that looks like a Puzzle. While they promise to remove a piece at a time as clues to the new attraction, one of our readers (credit to squirrelnut1416) did some URL digging and discovered that the image files were hosted on another site, and stupidly dated to match the day they would be uncovered. Daily files from the first day all the way through to August 31st were discovered on a host server, all easily accessed by the public from the too-easy to decipher file names.
All these files were hosted on the HFConcepts.com website (HeadFirst Concepts, a marketing and social media company... but one apparently not used to today’s ARG playing web-savvy coaster enthusiasts.) During the course of the day, the files have since been removed, but I did see the final image file myself first hand as well. Most of it was still covered up, but it was clear that the new addition is for Hurricane Harbor (you could make out part of the palm tree logo) where the top tag line read something to the extent of “The best water”, “just got bigger”. Then there is something about a new slide that will have a “near vertical” feature.
(8/5/10) The latest rumors suggest that SFGAm will make their 2011 on or near September 1st. On top of the rumored new project for the former Splash Water Falls site, we’ve heard a few rehabs and upgrade rumors are also being talked about such as some kind of ‘re-birth’ of for The Demon, new paint on Superman and Batmat (the later may get the identical paint job that SFMM’s version got last year), and possibly the return of backwards riding on American Eagle. All rumors still… but they all sound good too.
(8/3/10) The latest rumors from SFGAm suggest that the rumored waterpark expansion in 2011 could be delayed in favor of something new to take over the former Splash Water Falls site.
(6/22/10) Screamscape sources have confirmed that Chang is now no longer being planned for the park in 2011. New expansion plans are currently in the works and seem to involve the same basic plot of land… but with a focus on expanding Hurricane Harbor instead. Nothing has been finalized yet it seems, as all the plans are still in the air, though we have heard of one plan to add a water-coaster style slide to the park, possibly similar in style to the Wildebeest slide added to Holiday World this year. More as we find out.
(6/21/10) A new rumor has come up over the weekend at SFGAdv (New Jersey) that claims that the park may now be planning to replace their Great American Scream Machine coaster with CHANG. Up until now Chang has been all but confirmed for Six Flags Great America, with even a few pieces and the trains already spotted on site. The meetings to obtain the needed height variance permit are all but over... with the final approval meeting expected to take place today... Monday, June 21st.
While I haven’t seen it myself, I’ve heard a rumor that the Six Flags issue may have been unexpectedly removed from the agenda for tonight’s meeting, which only adds fuel to the fire that Chang could now be looking for a new home. Of course the online version of the agenda still shows it there, waiting to be finalized. I had been told that as soon as Al Weber took control of Six Flags, he began to made huge and immediate changes to the plans set in place for the 2011 season by Shaprio. I guess we’ll know more once the Monday meeting is over if the proposal to add Chang has been dropped or not. Stay tuned!
(5/3/09) According to a reader, some small Orange survey flags have been spotted in the area near the Sky Trek Tower, the Go-Karts and through the Space Shuttle America area. This is where the rumored expansion of Hurricane Harbor was rumored to be going so there could possibly be a connection.
(6/26/08) Screamscape sources have reinforced that Six Flags Great America will focus on expanding Hurricane Harbor in the near future, adding at least one major new attraction to the water park. However… I’ve also heard that they are thinking about turning the waterpark into a “second gate” where it will no longer be included free with your daily admission to Six Flags Great America. If I had to guess, they’ll probably add something that they’ve tested out at another park… so if I had to guess I’d be looking at either a Tony Hawk’s Halfpipe slide like what was added to Six Flags America in 2008 or if your lucky, a copy of Deluge, the hydromagnetic powered water coaster.

The water park expansion is rumored to take over the SSA site (where Chang was supposed to go up before it got sent to Great Adventure), and a new ride is rumored to take over the Splashwater Falls site. I also remember reading a rumor that the Go-Karts would get relocated to the old Splashwater Falls site. Let's say the water park expansion ends up going up somewhere else (like rerouting Six Flags Blvd around American Eagle, which frees up a lot of land), a Dive Machine (like Screamin' Eagle) can fit nicely in the old SSA site and relocate the Go-Karts to the SWF site, and that frees up a lot of land. They can even retheme that whole area altogether to accompany the new Dive Machine (and relocate the Sky Trek tower entrance). I also know of this rumor:

???? - Whizzer Replacement - Rumor - (7/19/10) Lots of interesting rumors were sent in regarding the possible future of SFGAm. This is all more long-term planning rumors, and nothing that is going to happen right away, so all of this can be taken with the grain of salt, as ideas constantly change as time goes by.
First off the disappointing news what we all knew would come someday. Yes… the Whizzer is going to close… someday. I know we’ve heard that rumor almost every year for the last decade or so, but the honest truth is that it is going to happen someday… sooner than we would like to think. It’s well know that the Whizzer is not only old, but difficult to get spare parts for, so most of the time they have to have stuff custom made, which isn’t cheap. The good news however is that in an attempt to be a little proactive, Six Flags is said to have asked Mack to look into recreating the Whizzer’s layout for when the time comes to replace it, they could possibly build an all new version for everyone to enjoy. Again… this is just something rumored to have been looked at, and there is no word if this was something done under Shapiro’s era or Weber’s new regime.

Say this was done under Shapiro's era and not Weber, they could probably build the Dive Machine in that spot too (even though I hope not... we need to spare the classics).

As for Magic Mountain, there have been rumors of a "Project 18." I still say this is for a new coaster, because there are 17 now, and with another one, there's 18. I also have this feeling that the rumored Tidal Wave removal might have some connection and that the coaster (let's say a Dive Machine like Screamin' Eagle) could interact a bit with Riddler's Revenge and also take over the old Freefall site.

Another possibility is Cyclone Bay. The recent new coasters (Terminator Salvation and Mr. Six's DanceCoaster) have gone up in that section. What if this is all a part of a 3-coaster expansion of that portion of the park? Terminator Salvation in 2009, Mr. Six in 2011, and an unknown coaster for 2012 (let's say Dive Machine) (which is the main weapon). There's some land behind Deja Vu (IDK if it's owned by the park or not). There's also a possibility of removing one of the coasters (I hope not though).

Deja Vu could be removed (since it's the only Deja Vu left, and was originally going to be removed with the other two). If it does, it opens a plethora of land, perfect for a Dive Machine (and possibly use that "Explore" themed land concept).

Ninja. Seems rather doubtful, but again THIS IS JUST SPECULATION!!!! Recently Arrow Suspended coasters have been disappearing (Big Bad Wolf and Eagle's Fortress are examples). If this is gone, it opens a plot of land. Maybe not for a Dive Machine, but for something.

Viper. With it being one of the only Arrow Mega-Loopers left, this does seem like a possibility. If it goes, it opens a decent-looking plot of land. Not to mention, if a Dive Machine goes up, it would look pretty cool next to X2. =D

I personally prefer either my Tidal Wave idea or my Cyclone Bay idea (without replacing Deja Vu) (they can even relocate the backstage area (behind Vu) by Viper or X2).

EDIT: I now realize that removing one of the coasters is not a possibility. It will destroy the purpose of "Project 18."

I'm Back From Switzerland

I went to Switzerland from June 16-July 6. Now I'm back. Anyways, lot's of stuff happened while I was gone (BTW, I've updated my old Manta rumors post)...

Chang:

It has been reported by Screamscape that Chang will NOT go up in SFGAm as planned, and instead there will be a water park expansion, and Chang will go to Six Flags Great Adventure instead (replacing the Great American Scream Machine). I'll let the article speak for itself...

2011 - Waterpark Expansion - Semi-Confirmed - (6/22/10) Screamscape sources have confirmed that Chang is now no longer being planned for the park in 2011. New expansion plans are currently in the works and seem to involve the same basic plot of land… but with a focus on expanding Hurricane Harbor instead. Nothing has been finalized yet it seems, as all the plans are still in the air, though we have heard of one plan to add a water-coaster style slide to the park, possibly similar in style to the Wildebeest slide added to Holiday World this year. More as we find out.
(6/21/10) A new rumor has come up over the weekend at SFGAdv (New Jersey) that claims that the park may now be planning to replace their Great American Scream Machine coaster with CHANG. Up until now Chang has been all but confirmed for Six Flags Great America, with even a few pieces and the trains already spotted on site. The meetings to obtain the needed height variance permit are all but over... with the final approval meeting expected to take place today... Monday, June 21st.
While I haven’t seen it myself, I’ve heard a rumor that the Six Flags issue may have been unexpectedly removed from the agenda for tonight’s meeting, which only adds fuel to the fire that Chang could now be looking for a new home. Of course the online version of the agenda still shows it there, waiting to be finalized. I had been told that as soon as Al Weber took control of Six Flags, he began to made huge and immediate changes to the plans set in place for the 2011 season by Shaprio. I guess we’ll know more once the Monday meeting is over if the proposal to add Chang has been dropped or not. Stay tuned!

2011 - Chang - Semi-Confirmed - (6/22/10) Screamscape sources tell us that the rumors from this past weekend are true and that not only is GASM set to end it’s life at Six Flags Great Adventure on July 1st, but Chang will indeed be coming to the park to take up it’s place in 2011. As for that mystery 5D project... it’s dead for now.

(6/28/10) Anyone have an update about Superman at Six Flags Great Adventure? As of last week, so far the ride had yet to reopen for the season. In other news, the rumors about GASM coming down continue to hold true, however there is apparently a bogus ‘reason’ being handed down from park management to the lower-end staff.
I’ve heard from a few insiders who have been told that the ride’s time was simply up because it had become impossible to buy spare parts for the old Arrow coaster anymore. Nothing could be further from the truth as S&S purchased Arrow several years ago primarily for their lucrative ‘spare parts’ division and checking into this rumor I’ve been assured that there was “no truth whatsoever” to this crazy rumor.
(6/21/10) A new rumor has come up over the weekend that may anger more than a few fans of Six Flags Great Adventure. If there is any truth to it, the new management calling the shots may be considering removing the park’s infamous Great American Scream Machine coaster. While at first the move seems shocking… keep in mind that GASM’s sister ride, Shockwave at the Chicago park, also met with a similar fate a few years ago. Of course it’s also well know that Shockwave, the first of the three Arrow made Six Flags Megaloopers (Viper at SF Magic Mountain was the final one) did suffer from a fair share of problems that the other two did not.
So the next question would obviously be to ask what reason there would be to remove such an iconic ride? According to the discussion going on at CoasterFusion, plans have been spotted at the park that now place CHANG… the B&M Stand-Up Coaster from Kentucky Kingdom, as possibly going into GASM’s spot. Up until now Chang has been all but confirmed for Six Flags Great America near Chicago… with a few pieces and the trains already spotted on site. Meetings have been taking place with the local government as well to get a height variance permit to build the ride there as well, with the final approval meeting expected to take place on Monday, June 21st.
While I haven’t seen it myself, I’ve heard a rumor that the Six Flags issue may have been unexpectedly removed from the agenda for tonight’s meeting, which only adds fuel to the fire that Chang could now be looking for a new home. Of course the online version of the agenda still shows it there, waiting to be finalized tonight. I had been told that as soon as Al Weber took control of Six Flags, he began to made huge and immediate changes to the plans set in place for the 2011 season by Shaprio. I guess we’ll know more once the Monday meeting is over if the proposal to add Chang has been dropped or not. Stay tuned!

Great American Scream Machine's removal has been confirmed by SFGAdv (through Facebook) on July 5. The removal date will be July 18, and there will be a send-off event. From SFGAdv Facebook:

Hey guys, Scream Machine will close July 18 to make room for a major new attraction in 2011. We'll offer double rides on GASM July 11 & 18. We'll host an ERT (Exclusive Ride Time) event on July 18, 10 p.m.-11:30 p.m. to invited guests; to be invited, see this contest>>http://ow.ly/27be9 [see more below]

Date:
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Time:
10:00pm - 11:30pm
Location:
1 Six Flags Blvd., Jackson NJ 08527

•WHO: 25 winners will be chosen; winners may bring a guest.

•WHAT: Show us your biggest SCREAM face! Post a photo or
video of you screaming as though you were on Great American Scream Machine at www.facebook.com/sixflagsgreatadventure. Guests that shoot a SCREAM video or include patriotic items are more likely to be chosen as winners. There is no limit to the amount of entries. Winners will be announced July 15, 2010. Be creative, have fun and keep it clean :)

•WHEN: 10 p.m.-11:30 p.m., July 18, 2010

•WHERE: Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags Great
Adventure.

•WHY: To make room for a new attraction in 2011, we’re
celebrating Scream Machine with the send off it deserves!

•Event Details:Guests invited to the event will receive ERT (exclusive
ride time) from 10 p.m.-11 p.m. Seats on the front and back row of the last train of the last ride (dispatched at 11 p.m.) will be auctioned off; other seats during the last ride will be $50 each—details TBA—and all proceeds will benefit the NRCMA (National Roller Coaster Museum & Archives)!

So with two Arrow Megaloopers gone from Six Flags parks... Viper's (SF Magic Mountain) the only one of those three left.

BGT 2011 Coaster:

The Skyride is now down to the end of the year, and both the temporary path behind the Clydesdale (June 16) and the path from Nairobi to Edge of Africa (June 29) are now open. By the second bridge of the EOA path (which is not technically a "bridge" yet as the trench hasn't been dug yet), you see footers like Maverick (which adds more fuel to the fire that this coaster's from Intamin). In the south side, the old path from KaTonga to Egypt is closed and demolished (but meanwhile the Clydesdale Hamlet is still standing...) and the old control booth of the monorail is removed, as well as half of the platform, as the old monorail station is starting to become a coaster station. Construction walls are also starting to go up in front of the Crown Colony (it is said that the whole Crown Colony section will get a face lift to fit the new theming). The old Edge of Africa Gift Shop is gutted out (I came up with the theory of that becoming the coaster's gift shop/on-ride photo booth). Meanwhile on the construction walls, teasers have gone up saying "Feel the spirit. Feel the speed." There is also a new website for the coaster project:

http://buschgardens2011.com/

It has some cool videos. =)

And Screamscape continues to update us with coaster rumors:

(6/28/10) Busch Gardens Tampa has launched a new preview teaser site for the 2011 coaster… aka: Cheetaka. As part of this the park is also posting QR codes on the construction walls that will lead you to this same site and a preview video. QR codes are those square digital barcodes your starting to see here and there that are readable by most barcode scanner programs you can load into your smart phones (Android & iPhones). If you want to view it on your PC, just go to BuschGardens2011.com.
Of course the latest rumors for Cheetaka are quite interesting, claiming that the ride may feature inversions after all as well as a new style vertical tower element. I’ve also heard that the trains put to use here will be a one car longer than what Cedar Point put on Maverick… offering 4 cars (4 seats each) per train.
You can also see some construction updates at RCPro
(6/23/10) A new construction update can be found at BGT Guide this week, but it was also pointed out last week on Johnny Upsidedown’s update that it looks like the first coaster footers have been poured. Now… about this Cheetaka coaster project itself… I’ve heard that perhaps we don’t have all the details on it yet. Perhaps there is a chance that it may have a buried inversion or two in the trenches… as well as a vertical plunge at one point. More as we find out.
(6/21/10) A teaser poster for the 2011 attraction has been posted in the park with the tagline, “Feel the spirit. Feel the Speed. Coming Spring 2011”. While this could very well still be a hint about the rumored Cheetah theme, another rumor coming in from BGT Guide shows off a piece of artwork said to have been designed as a proposed promotion for the ride in Puerto Rico which clearly shows off a Cheetah theme. Of course it also shows off a photograph of a wooden coaster as well, which this ride definitely will not be, so you can only trust this one so far. Still, the artwork used here does look professionally done.
Meanwhile you can also find some new construction pictures posted over at BGT Nation. More as we get it.

Why do I have this strange feeling that "Cheetaka" will actually be the name...? Okay let's see... buried inversions, a new type of vertical tower element, three launches, vertical plunge... yep, it's gonna rock. =D

Gwazi:

Screamscape also reported this:

(6/24/10) A few months back you might recall that Busch Gardens Tampa was testing a borrowed GCI Millennium Flyer train on one side of Gwazi. If the latest rumor is true, it must have impressed them (how could it not?) and the park is now rumored to have put in orders for all new trains to replace the current PTC trains. Don’t look for these to go online until at least the end of the year or next spring.

That's nice to hear! =D Now if they do that and keep the noise... I'll be happy (even though I didn't mind Gwazi's roughness).

Hulk:

Okay, recently the Incredible Hulk Coaster has been reported to get incredibly (pun) rusty and rough. I've seen pictures, and I felt like I was going to puke. But fear not Hulk fans, Screamscape has reported this:

(7/6/10) While most of the attention at Universal’s Islands of Adventure park has been focused on the Wizarding World lately, they did take the time to spruce up several other park attractions as well. Unfortunately, as this article points out, the Incredible Hulk coaster was the one high profile ride that apparently was left-off the list of things to be spruced up. On top of looking a bit ulgy, the ride is apparently rubbing some fans the wrong way with a rougher than normal ride experience as well.
All is not lost however, as I have heard a few rumors being tossed around Universal campus claiming that there may be plans afoot to take what Universal has learned from the Hollywood Rockit and Hollywood Dream coasters (onboard lights & sounds system) and may apply it towards building some new themed trains packed with lights and sounds to take the Hulk to the next level. Cross your fingers…

Here's a similar rumor I've read from Screamscape:

2011 to 2014 - Island Refurbishment - Rumor - (10/16/09) Once the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens next year, Universal’s next step for Islands of Adventure may be to begin a series of “refresh and refurbishment” projects to the rest of the Islands over the next couple of years. With the success of the light up panels on the Rockit coaster, there is now a plan in place to go back and add green lighting to the Hulk trains as was promised way back when the park was first announced. If the rumors about audio being added to Dragon’s Challenge are true, I would count on seeing it added to Hulk as well. There is also a rumored plan to “upgrade” Spiderman, by adding a new scene or two by replacing a couple of scenes that don’t work as well as the rest. Seuss may just get repainted, possibly some new scenic elements, and there has been talk about adding a new attraction to the Jurassic Park area for years. What about the remains of Lost Continent? I think we could see something happen here as well, though would it be an expansion of Potter’s Wizarding World or something brand new?

All I can say is... I hope this is true! Hulk would look so cool at night with LEDs (and possibly LED the outside of the gamma tube. Speaking of which, a new light effect is inside the gamma tube)! =D

Cedar Point 2011:

From Screamscape:

2011 - Thrill Ride - Semi-Confirmed - (7/9/10) According to this article the announcement for the 2011 attraction will take place in mid August. Dick Kinzel has hinted that, “It's going to bring back a lot of memories for people that follow Cedar Point”. Makes it sound like a throw-back ride… or a recreation of something popular long ago but lost. While one source tell us that it may actually be a flat ride coming to the park, it was also pointed out that The Point has seen a fair share of wooden coaster come and go over the years… 8 in fact according to RCDB. With our last leak claiming that Cedar Fair was looking more favorable at building new wooden coasters again… could this be a possibility? Certainly the early announcement date also seems to indicate that work on the project may become visible before the end of the season as well. More as we find out.
(7/7/10) The latest rumors about Cedar Point’s next big project claim it will be a coaster from Intamin once again… despite all the various technical problems The Point has had with rides from them. According to another source, this new Intamin creation may be a new prototype creation we haven’t seen anywhere else before. Stay Tuned!

An Intamin prototype would be incredible! =D Hopefully it comes true...

Hersheypark 2012:

I've heard that once again, Hersheypark will go with Intamin, and the project has been delayed to 2012. From Screamscape:

2011/2012 - New Coaster - (7/7/10) Some may be thinking back to the coaster project that got away from Hersheypark… Turbulence (aka: Frequent Faller), as a possible inspiration for the park to buy a ZacSpin coaster from Intamin. However it has also been pointed out that the overall project area contained within the known survey points is really far too large for a ZacSpin, so we’ve got to think bigger. Could Hersheypark be thinking of building the first Mega-Lite coaster in the US perhaps? We know they have been a huge hit internationally. Of course Intamin also has a few other tricks we have yet to see in the US like the Wingwalker coaster, the new Spinning Coaster or even the infamous AquaTrax system. So far all we have is very mild rumors and lots of speculation. Time to do some digging.
(7/6/10) While nothing more have been firmed up, the latest rumor going around the park does seem to indicate that the next coaster at Hersheypark will likely be from Intamin again.
(6/14/10) The latest rumors swirling around Hersheypark’s next big coaster project actually now throw Premier Rides into the mix with Intamin as well… and hint that B&M is now more unlikely. Many also seem to think that the project may not be until the 2012 season, though with surveying going on right now, anything can happen.
As for those markers, I’ve been contacted by a reader with some professional experience as an actual surveyor and was told that the markings we’ve seen so far have nothing at all to do with the layout of the project. All of the triangle markings found so far have a “Mag Nail” driven into the asphalt in the center and are actually “Control Points”, which are then usually number sequentially as they are created. These points mark the locations the surveyors use to work from... and not the location of the project itself. If people look hard enough, there should be more of these Control Points discovered around the site, as they are set up in a loop around the actual area where the work will be done. So once all the different Control Points are discovered, we should have a large loop surrounding the overall location of the new project area. However the loop could be quite large... much larger than the actual project itself, as I’m told that the permitter loop would also include any and all sites where other infrastructure work (electric, water, sewer, roads, walkways, etc) will also be modifed or tied into.
So really the best thing to do right now, other than to find more markers, would be to also create an overhead map showing off the location of each discovered and numbered marker as time goes on.

Something tells me that these "control points" are starting to get fun. =D

And if you scroll down this page, you can see a map of where the markings are located:

http://keystonethrills.megabb.com/hersheypark-happenings-discussion-f18/2011-2012-new-coaster-rumor-discussion-t157-30.htm

According to the second map, the lift looks to be behind Traffic Jam and Helicopters (right by Comet).

Guess this should be an interesting project to look at...

Chang Update #11

From Screamscape:

2011 - Chang / B&M Stand-Up Coaster - Semi-Confirmed - (5/22/10) According to the local Gurnee meeting hotline system the hearing issue from Six Flags taking place on May 26th is to approve the variance for a new roller coaster up to 150.17 feet tall that will be located in the “Space Port area”. Essentially this matches Chang, which was listed on RCDB as 154 feet tall, but may have been padded at that point in time for SFKK for marketing purposes as it was a follow-up to Mantis which is listed as being 145 ft. What is also interesting is the long in the tooth rumor claiming that Chang will be converted into a Floorless coaster, and hand over it’s old trains to run on Iron Wolf is still alive and kicking. Months ago a source of mine said it wasn’t going to happen… but it does still make more sense than putting two stand-up coasters into the same park. Plus if they went the Floorless route, I wouldn’t be surprised if they took some inspiration from the conversion of SFGAdv’s Medusa into Bizarro and got a train with an audio system this time around.

So Chang may still be converted to a floorless. And the trains may still be on Iron Wolf. That's nice to hear! They'll probably install them on Iron Wolf during reconstruction of Chang. Another quote from Screamscape:

Park News - (5/20/10) Signs have been posted around the park announcing that a public hearing involving a zoning variance request from the park for a future attraction is coming soon. No big surprise here, as every tall ride that goes into the park has to receive permission from Gurnee, so I guess this is just the final legal step for them to install Chang in the park next year.

It's close to an announcement!!!!

Chang Update #10

From Screamscape:

2011 - Chang / B&M Stand-Up Coaster - Rumor - (4/27/10) According to our sources, with Chang not set to open at SFGAm until 2011, they were in no hurry to transport the entire ride at the Chicago area right away, so they were taking the slow and steady approach. In other words, the pieces found in Kentucky just haven’t been shipped yet. Don’t believe in the theories that the pieces were brought back due to an unknown court order or something… that didn’t happen. These pieces should vanish soon enough as well.

HA! Take that Kentucky State Fair!

Chang Update #9

http://www.kicentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=21273&hl=kentucky%20kingdom&st=0

These track pieces remind me of Chang. Yeah... but maybe they are Chang!!!!

The only Chang piece at SFGAm is a lone blue support beam, with a staircase and the trains. What will become of these pieces? SFGAm? Another SF park? Back to SFKK?

Stay tuned!

No Chang Trains on Iron Wolf

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4325577&id=10583866355

Well, looks like Iron Wolf is ready for 2010. You can see that there are no Chang trains on it. Dang it! **bangs head** I just hope they convert Chang to a floorless (or send it to another park) and put the Chang trains on Iron Wolf later (2011?).

So unless they add the trains later to Iron Wolf... looks like B&M's first coaster is doomed. I just hope that if they remove it, they relocate it to another park, and they do not scrap it. It's a legend. Yeah it's rough from what I've heard... but IT'S A DANG LEGEND!!!!!

Chang Update #8

From Screamscape:

"2011 - Chang / B&M Stand-Up Coaster - Rumor - (3/26/10) Okay… lets go back and look at that Six Flags Great America news video I posted one more time. I missed it the first time through, but an eagle-eyed reader noticed somevery very family off to the side of the video at the 1:05 mark. Check out this screen capture (cropped and zoomed in for your benefit) and notice anything familiar about that black/yellow/red thing on the left side of the screen. Okay… now take a look at this picture at RCDB. Yep… it looks like we’ve found the first proof that one of Chang’s trains are now on site at SFGAm."





















This is a screen capture from the video, courtesy of Screamscape.

Ummm... HA! TAKE THAT KENTUCKY STATE FAIR!

Anyway, some people speculate...

* That they will use this train on Iron Wolf, and Chang will be a floorless coaster replacing Space Shuttle America (which was demolished last December and was SBNO since 2007).

OR...

* That Chang is temporarily being stored in Great America and will relocate to another Six Flags park for 2011 (kinda like AstroWorld's Vekoma SLC which was stored in Great Escape in New York state after AstroWorld's closure in 2005, and is going up in La Ronde in Montréal for 2010).

My thoughts: If they will convert Chang to a floorless and send it to SFGAm for 2011, then so be it. But if they leave Chang a stand-up, then just send it to another park!

Just my $0.02. =)

View of Chang Now...

As of February 23, 2010, WLKY News took a helicopter over the former Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom theme park. You want to see how Chang's footprint looks...















Well, here it is. Heh, this kinda reminds me of Dominator's footprint at Geauga Lake.

See a video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWUe9my3qUU&feature=channel

At the point of 0:14-0:28.

Chang Update #7, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Update #2

Here's another release of the lawsuit stating something about the former Bonzai Beach "project" (hint, hint):

Weeks after Six Flags decided to shut down Kentucky Kingdom, state officials are now involved in a legal fight over the remaining thrill rides.

The Chang rollercoaster was removed last year to make way for a water-park expansion.

That expansion never started and the Kentucky State Fair Board claimed it was never going to happen.

That claim was made in a lawsuit filed by Kentucky officials suing Premier, the owner of Six Flags.

At issue: they want the bankruptcy judge to declare the rides and other attractions on the land owned by the fair board as fixtures, or part of the property.

They're also suing for breach of contract and damages caused by Six Flag's removal of any rides.

The suit accused Premier of fraud regarding the removal of Chang and the promise of improvements.

Earlier this month, when the park closed, the president of the state fair board said he was just as shocked as the public.

"We were surprised by the news release. We weren't notified ahead of time. We didn't receive one," Kentucky State Fair Board President Harold Workman said on February 5.

The state is hearing from Six Flags in the form of a countersuit. The company disputed the ownership of the thrill rides and asked a bankruptcy judge to declare that the contested rides are not the landlord's property and the company should be allowed to remove those rides.

State officials said there are other parties interested in running the park, so the ruling on who owns the rides is crucial.

This case is playing out in bankruptcy court because the amusement park operator filed for Chapter 11 in June 2009.

Barring a settlement, the judge overseeing the Chapter 11 case will decide who owns the rides.

The first set of bolded statements says that Bonzai Beach was never going to happen, and it was just an excuse to remove Chang. I'm glad they saved Chang... but I thought BB was happening. Guess they planned the closure of SFKK before the Chang removal. Also a quote from sfkk339 last year (Sept. 20, 2009, the day before the Chang relocation was confirmed):

"Sources are saying they want it gone. Fast. Some are saying as early as November 8th."

I was just expecting it to be due to the water park expansion, but now I realize... that they wanted to save it as quick as possible and pulled the Bonzai Beach expansion as an excuse. That's probably why the water park closed along with it. Clever, hahaha. Clever indeed... B) Again, I'm glad they saved the coaster. But now people are speculating silly stuff like the Kentucky State Fair requesting the return of Chang. Ha, I doubt it... or hope it doesn't happen... =|

As for the last bold statement, I agree with Six Flags. They should have the right to save the rides. I don't know, maybe it's just me hoping the rides will be saved. =P

DRAMA!!!!!!

P.S.: I'm making a comic strip showing a version of the lawsuit. This time, there are two high school kids fighting (representing Six Flags and the Kentucky State Fair) at Theme Park High School. One kid is bossed around by others (Six Flags), while another kid is popular and loved by cheerleaders (Kentucky State Fair). They have a fight after KSF steals Six Flags' book bag (representing the rides). Six Flags wins and KSF pees in his pants, and runs off. The cheerleaders start loving Six Flags, after gaining the book bag.

Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Update #1

FYI, Screamscape has posted an update on SFKK closing.

Screamscape:

"Park News - (2/22/10) A reader passed by SF Kentucky Kingdom over the weekend and noticed that while all the rides were still in place, it looked like some of the custom Batman scenery in the arena and Looney Tunes signage were being taken down. Rented moving trucks were also visible in the park itself, as Six Flags is likely packing up their possessions and moving out."

Which (of course) led to a lawsuit. I thought just the ride removals were applied. Anyways...

"DOVER, Del. (AP) -- Kentucky officials are suing bankrupt theme park operator Six Flags Inc. over ownership of rides and equipment at a shuttered amusement park in Louisville.

State officials contend that the rides are considered fixtures to the land on which Kentucky Kingdom sits, much of which is owned by the Kentucky State Fair Board.

In a Delaware bankruptcy court filing, Kentucky officials are seeking a declaration that the state owns the rides, and an order preventing Six Flags from removing them.

The state filed the lawsuit late last week after learning that Six Flags had positioned trucks to begin removing equipment. It preceded the lawsuit with a letter to Six Flags instructing the company not to remove the rides.

Six Flags has filed a countersuit, claiming that it owns the rides and that the lawsuit by Kentucky is prohibited by the bankruptcy code. Six Flags is seeking court permission to remove the rides and a permanent restraining order prohibiting the state from trying to take possession.

A pretrial conference in the dispute is scheduled for April 14.

Kentucky officials have said at least four companies have expressed interest in taking over Kentucky Kingdom, and that a new operator could be in place by summer."

I think I'm siding with Six Flags. I mean, the rides have got to relocate. I don't want them demolished, or just sitting there 'till they rot. You can do it Six Flags! SAVE THE RIDES!!!!!