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.
Coaster Critic 
58 responses to “Kentucky Kingdom’s Chang Is Being Removed”
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."
funny, i was just going to tell you guys this
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
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
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!
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?
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!!!
It is going to great america in chicago, but not until 2011
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.
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.
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.
Guys I have a question
Is B&M coaster designers, or track maker pplz
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….
thx C.C.
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.
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???
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.
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.
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.
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..
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.
It really makes me terribly sad. That was the only real reason I went to six flaggs when I could just drive 45 minutes to Kings Island. I don't know. Being in Indiana I have several other amusement park options whether it be Holiday World, Kings Island, or Ceder Point but still, I am saddened by the idea of this amazing snake of steal moving farther away. One of our physics teachers will be crushed.
If they move Chang then i will probably never visit SFKK again. i think theyre makin a BIG mistake. It's cold sometimes, even in the summer in KY. AZ could use some waterparks, but KY needs none. I live in KY and it will be a major letdown if they move the coaster. i think theyre stupid and should reconsider what will happen after they move it. If they try to convert it into a waterpark no one will probably want a season pass…
Oh, i didn`t know that SFKKin`s water park had that name, WoW. Six Flags needs to get some creativity.
When I was there in Aug., all of the rides were a walk-on except the breakdance and T2, both of which had about a 30 min. wait. The waterpark, however, was so crowded that we didn't bother going out to the car to get our swimsuits. The handful of locals I talked to before the park opened said they bought season passes in order to use the waterpark. Rides were secondary to them. Is anyone out there a Kentucky Kingdom local? If so, what's your opinion on this? As for the temperature, it was freakin' hot when we were there!!!
This might seem kind of weird, but SFGAm could open this up as a floorless coaster. All they need is new trains.
The reason why the parks amusement park isn't as crowded is because everything is so old! The park hasn't seen a new flat being added to the park since 1998, Before six flags had the park in its name. They also got rid of Rainbow next to the enterprise last season and now that area is a ghost town. If Six Flags hadn't purchase the park, or Ed Hart hadn't sold the park in 98, This park wouldn't be what it is today, A DUMP.
Some people believe that the STOP accident has made low attendance impact on the park, but it isn't true. Everyone is just waiting a new coaster or major attraction. It seems as if the park hasn't seen anything BRAND NEW our the box since the 90s.
and it probably will get new trains, stand-ups are going extinct, and to no one`s dismay.
Im a local… and i can not believe they are getting rid of Chang. What are they thinking? Im really disappointed. Chang was by far the best rollercoaster at SFKK. The only one i really bothered riding. I would ride it, turn around and get back on it. Most of my time would be spent in the waterpark because of the lack of good coasters. Now that Chang is gone, there's no reason to go anywhere BUT the water park. I really wish they would expand both the waterpark and the thrill park, but with the lack of property there's no way. The size of land that KK has really limits it to how good it could become. But all in all… im really disappointed. Guess it's off to Kings Island this year.
By the way… Congrats to whatever park gets chang. You're getting an AWESOME coaster.
Six Flags Great America will be getting Chang, and SFKK will probably become a water park.
[sigh] I really hate it, but I think your right Quil. I REALLY hate it when amusement parks go away. Well, on the bright side, this gives me another reason to go to SFGAm.
This looks a lot like the mantis at cedar point.
Yep. They're pretty similar although for some reason Chang is much, much smoother.
CC, could you do a top 3 thurs. on the top 3 stand-ups?
Great america does not need this ride. I can name a few othe parks that could use this coaster.
Six flags America
The Great Escape
Six Flags Mexico
Six flags Discovery Kingdom
From a lineup standpoint you might be right. But for a park like Six Flags America, they may not have the attendance levels to warrant such a large new-ish ride.
Six flags Discovery Kingdon could use it… but they have Medusa which is already a great ride… but the park would be so much better if they had a stand up.
I'm hoping The Great Escape… sitll, it`s even more likley now beacause theirs a SFRumor (six flags rumor) that a new cpoaster will be added to the great escape in 2010 or 2011. asa ix flags rumor is something ththat`s told to ride ops and other workers in case someone asks, it`s just a suscpicion though.
I was at SFKK in July of 2009. We were visiting the Louisville area for a conference, and one of the field trips was to spend the entire day at SFKK. So, we get there, at opening, and rode all the LAME rides in less than an hour, and sat around until the water park opened, which had just as few and LAME rides as the amusement park. We left before 1:00 pm. I was so happy those tickets were paid for by the conference…if I had to pay for a ticket to go there, I would be so pissed. You might as well just sit at home and do nothing, because that's more fun then SFKK.
I doubt it.
Kentucky Kingdom Rejects Lease
Park to Close
http://www.sixflags.com/national/footernav/kentuc…
Nice find Judy! I have a post up here: Six Flags Closes Kentucky Kingdom
dejavu. (i alredy read the post)
Think Carowinds is going to keep Vortex? It's a small, but decent roller coaster in a small, but decent park. It's pretty old, considering it's B'M's 3rd of 4th ride they ever made. I hope it doesn't go BOOM.
SFGAm is my main park- with the amount of people we get there in a day- we could use another coaster. I am excited to get this- Iron Wolf is super rough. I was at the park last weekend and there is a part of the park closed off for a new ride in 2011. The SF in San Antonio could use some bigger rides- let alone rides at all!
I just found out that they are moving it to great adventure. That is why there gretting rid of the great american scream
yeah they are moving it to great adventure i found it out on the internet anyway i dont like scream machine because one time i almost broke my neck they should change it because it is a better idea
Hey at Six Flags New England it says a mystery coaster will open up in 2011. Who knows, maybe it will be Chang! I hope it is. I've always wanted to ride on it really badly.
I had no idea that Cedar entertainment llc owned Six Flags. Actually, I doubt that.
I dunno… SFNE is kinda low on coasters too. Plus they are getting a new one in 2011
[…] and re-themed as Green Lantern tying into the new movie starring Ryan Reynolds. The coaster was removed from Kentucky Kingdom just months before Six Flags decided to close the […]
Without Chang, SFKK is now a complete joke. I will not be back to SFKK.
Dr. Michael E. Schmidt
Would you possibly go back if they added a new B&M coaster, as part of their reopening?
http://www.kentuckykingdom.com/site/
CHANG is for six flags mexico
[…] In 1997, Hart sold it to Six Flags. Texas-based Six Flags ultimately pulled out, but not before hauling off some of the park’s most spectacular rides such as Chang. […]
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on cedar works swing sets.
Regards
I loved that roller coaster… Sad it’s gone. It was definitely the best one there. Was thinking about visiting the park now that it’s reopened but without it… I may just opt for kings island. Or dollywood.