New Jersey’s most iconic roller coaster He left and we couldn’t even say goodbye.

Kingda KaJackson, the towering, terrifying crown jewel of Six Flags Great Adventure, has officially closed, the Jackson theme park confirmed Thursday.

The news came later Rumors have been going on for weeks Among roller coaster enthusiasts, it is claimed that the days are numbered for the 456-meter green steel mountain. Six Flags said Kingda Ka, which has been open since 2005, is being removed to make room for a “multiple record-breaking launch coaster” set to open in 2026 as the park’s “signature attraction.”

This is very exciting. You know what would be more exciting, or at least neat and professional?

Making this announcement before Kingda Ka closed was already closed.

By waiting until after the fact to make the announcement, Six Flags deprived theme park fans in New Jersey and beyond of the chance to ride the beloved train one last time.

Undoubtedly, I am one of those Ka worshipers who want that last thrill. I also have to admit that I was a wuss when it first opened in 2005; a gigantic beast named after the legendary 500-pound Bengal tiger that looms over the entire park. When I finally found the courage to ride Kingda Ka a few years later, I didn’t even care if my cell phone flew out of my pocket and landed in the car behind me. I’m hooked. The 128 MPH launch (at one time making it the fastest coaster in the world) was one of the most exhilarating feelings in the world.

The last time I drove Kingda Ka was in 2023 and I waited even longer to sit in the front row. I didn’t know I would never feel this feeling again.

It’s one thing to secretly survive an unpopular trip; no one is crying about this Green Lantern is also closing. But it’s mind-boggling and frankly disrespectful to fans that Six Flags didn’t have the foresight to make some sort of announcement about the future of Kingda Ka earlier this year. This decision couldn’t have been made overnight, and they should have known that trying to sneak this announcement past fans wouldn’t work.

When the also-iconic Great American Scream Machine closed in 2010, the park gave fans at least a few weeks’ notice and posted signs advising people to ride one last time. Didn’t we get anything for Kingda Ka, an even more beloved ride?

Beyond nostalgia, this is also stupid from a business perspective. If Six Flags had announced at the beginning of the 2024 season that the famous coaster would be arriving at the end of the year, theme park enthusiasts would literally flock from all over the country to ride the ride one last time.

This is no exaggeration: Throughout October and November, rumors circulated on social media that Kingda Ka would soon be closing, and countless coaster lovers were making last-minute visits to Jackson to pay their respects and endure that epic fall once again.

A season-long farewell tour would be a big boost for Six Flags; It was probably unlike anything we had seen in the park before. The swan song of a record-breaking journey could mean record-breaking ticket sales. I’m no accountant, but it seems like Six Flags is leaving money on the table with this move.

Six Flags hasn’t released any details about the successor to Kingda Ka, other than that it will be a launch coaster (like Kingda Ka) and will also break records. Maybe it will be longer and faster, maybe even have a better ride overall.

Whatever it is, it better be good. It will take a lot to honor Kingda Ka’s memory. It will take even more to erase the memory of this clumsy farewell.

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