Kingda Ka down for awhile?

I waited like 14 hrs. for my first ride in TTD, the thing always seemed to break down on me when I was in line for it. When I finally rode it I was like that was what I waited all that time for. I haven't ever waited longer then 15 minutes for it since. Ijust won't wait 1 hr plus for that ride ever. I like you Jeff didn't really enjoy later rides on it, untill last Halloweehends when I got the elusive roll back on it. Still, we won't wait to long to ride it though.

As far as KK and TTD are concerend. TTD is better because of (gasp!) the scenery, and it is smoother. Restraints on KK don't bother me too much.

Corkscrew Follies said:
I waited like 14 hrs.

I would have left after 12.

I already told my TDD story in this thread. Now I would like to share my KK story.

Kingda Ka had undergone some nasty downtime during it's first season, because a hat fell onto the track (whatever). The park announced on their website that it was finally open. I had a few days off of work, and some extra cash, and I noticed on the calendar that it was the first week of school for many kids, so I thought that it would be a great idea to trek out to the park, a six hour drive, and ride Kinda Ka.

I got to the park early in the morning, only to find a sea of cars in the parking lot. I got to the entrance, only to find a sign that said that Kinda Ka would be down for the day.

I had bad experiences there before, I don't know why I thought this time would be different. Because of such a poor experience at the park that day, the effort that I gave to get there and back, along with the money that I spent there (including a very necessary Flashpass, but I won't go there) gave me a very bad opinion of the park. I decided that I wouldn't be back, and so I have never got to ride Kinda Ka.

Maybe someday.

Corkscrew Follies said:
I waited like 14 hrs. for my first ride in TTD

Well, that's obviously an extreme exageration. The park is open 12 hours or less on almost every opperating day.

I only end up riding TTD or KK because of my girlfriend. She loves it for some reason, then again she thinks that SoB is a great ride too. I prefer the LIM launch to the cable any day. It just feels snappier.

Of the two, KK was much worse simply because of the OTSR. Wish intamin would build em like they used to. Or at least keep the new restraint without the shoulder bars. If Anton could do it, so can current technology.

WT is my preference for the coasters that don't go anywhere.

But I'll take a good terrain over all of them any day of the week.

Jason Hammond said:

Well, that's obviously an extreme exageration. The park is open 12 hours or less on almost every opperating day.

Cedar Point is often open at least 13+ hours in a day and since they don't close the lines until anywhere from the posted closing time until about 5 minutes afterward, the popular rides have operated past 2am to clear the lines out (from what I understand). Some former employees on here can attest to this I'm sure. Paging RolloCoast. ;)

TTD first year, i didn't ride until 1:30am due to multiple break downs.

I can attest to that, AV. I wanted to post just about the same thing you did, but I got distracted.

Okay guys I am being misunderstood. 14 hrs. over a span of two years becuse the coaster always broke down on us while waiting in line. We visited like seven times in the first two yrs.s of it's operation and never got a chance to ride TTD, until it's 3rd year.

Today while waiting for the Green Lantern movie to start, the theater was showing commercials. One of them was for Six Flags saying "Fly 450 feet into the air at blah blah... and save $20 off admission with a can of Coke!." with shots of Kingda Ka.

Someone in the back of the theater yelled out "Don't waste your money, the damned thing is broke d**k!"

Acoustic Viscosity said:
Cedar Point is often open at least 13+ hours in a day and since they don't close the lines until anywhere from the posted closing time until about 5 minutes afterward

There are only 8 opperating days where the posted hours are 13 hours and 1 that is 15 (3rd of July). All other days are 12 or less. We're talking about Dragster, so I'm not counting Platinum hour as Dragster opens with the regular park hours. And if he waited as long as he said, the ride was never open. Unless he was there on the one day where the park was open for 15 hours and never did anything else the rest of the day. Including going to the bathroom.

67440Dodge said:
KK wasn't running when I went to SFGADV today. Was talking to a park employee when riding Nitro. He said they were having too many rollbacks because they were having problems with the hydraulics, and it'd be down for awhile.

Anyone else heard the same?

KK was running yesterday, consistently all day. In a case of extremely bad timing, it rolled back while I was waiting just after opening..and I was looking the other way. I had explained at the rope drop to my friend Gina what a roll-back was and how much I hoped to experience one or at least SEE one. So we're waiting for the back seat and ther train we would have boarded rolls back. Gina says to me, "The train just rolled back." Sure enough, I see it come back into the station backwards to let a couple of people off who got freaked out (I guess.) So my streak goes on....

LostKause, what changed your mind on Flashpasses? I've been gone for a while for various reasons, but I come back and the world has gone crazy! Lol

I've only seen nothing but problems with Ka AND TTD, but Ka does seem worse. It has been shut down for almost two seasons total. That's ridiculous! I think the only reason I still get scared riding Ka is that I'm always worried it's gonna malfunction.

I've gotta give Ka one thing though...night launches on Ka are so cool. They don't have any lights on that towering beast, so it is like you're being hurtled into an abyss. I would much rather ride TTD, but if I'm not power riding Toro after dark, I'm almost definitely on my way to Ka.

My opinion has not changed about Flashpass. I have to mention Flashpass sometimes though because it is part of the Six Flags experience. It take me a lot of self-control not to go on a nice, long, rant about how irritating Flashpass is to me.

FYI, spent 2 days at Great Adventure at the beginning of the month, rode everything and then some, and didn't need Flash Pass at all. It was busy, but they were pretty efficient.

Wow, sounds to me that you were there on a good day.

It wasn't any different when I was there in the fall of 2010, either. I have a friend who's a supervisor there, and he's doing some really good things to turn operations around.

That's good, maybe I'll stop by Great Adventure when I go to New York in September.

On the subject of KK:

"Or...you could go ride El Toro!"

Craig, that is an excellent idea as well. :)