Anaconda getting the squeeze at Kings Dominion?

[BeeastFarmer]

The purge continues, apparently:

 

Anaconda Slated for Demolition - KDFans

[BoddaH1994]

RCDB has picked up the info and appears to buy into it.

[johnjniehaus]

Unfortunate for sure. This has to be upper management purging rides and cost cutting. I don't agree with the decision of mass closures without notice or final rides but I am thankful to have ridden Anaconda. I actually really enjoyed it and didn't think it was rough and it had a unique layout over the lake. Sad to see it go but maybe a new coaster could take it's place over the lake - such a great location/setting at KD

[Vortex1987]

Hide and watch....... Magic Mountains Viper's next. 

[johnjniehaus]

41 minutes ago, Vortex1987 said:

Hide and watch....... Magic Mountains Viper's next. 

Unfortunately you are probably right. Ninja at magic mountain could also be a soon to be removed coaster. I think we will see more removals at the bigger parks that can afford to replace them over time. I think parks like Michigans Adventure,. Frontier City, Great Escape, etc might be able to hold onto their older coasters since SF isn't looking to invest in those parks to replace those rides with anything. It's also more detrimental for a small park to lose a coaster than a larger park like Kings Island 

[DonHelbig]

I was one of the first riders on Anaconda in 1991. Like Vortex, it was a great visual. It's a real classy move by Six Flags to remove rides without giving advance notice so fans of the ride can get in their last rides and say goodbye. They're not giving it any thought or care about their guests doing it this way. 

[PKIDelirium]

With rumors of Superman: Escape from Krypton being removed (and it currently being SBNO) I think it more likely that Ninja would get the axe at Magic Mountain in addition to Superman. Viper I believe recently got an overhaul and is also nowhere near Superman, but Ninja is and the recent removals have trended towards being near each other if multiple rides are involved.

[Vortex1987]

When it gets demo'd they should sell the track slices like KI did with Vortex and Cedar Point did with Wicked Twister. Puts history in the hands of enthusiasts who will cherish it and generates more money for the park. Its a win-win both ways.

[PKIDelirium]

Cedar Point recently did slices from the original inversion track from Maverick, so it's not out of the question under current corporate.

[Coastercrush]

46 minutes ago, DonHelbig said:

I was one of the first riders on Anaconda in 1991. Like Vortex, it was a great visual. It's a real classy move by Six Flags to remove rides without giving advance notice so fans of the ride can get in their last rides and say goodbye. They're not giving it any thought or care about their guests doing it this way. 

Imagine if Vortex at KI was removed without notice.

[DonHelbig]

On 12/24/2024 at 10:07 PM, Coastercrush said:

Imagine if Vortex at KI was removed without notice.

It almost was.

[Shaggy]

I’ve been saying there’s more removals to come.   And there still are…

Re: SFMM..  I have heard there are as many as 4 coasters potentially on the chopping block at SFMM alone.  Of course that park is, IMO, over saturated with coasters.  So I don’t think the loss of them would prove too detrimental.

Im not as sentimental about any of the removals as many.  Just kind of the way of the times.  I do hope that the SF execs look at a variety of opportunities as their replacements… like more flats and water rides.  For years parks have gone coaster heavy.  As I age, I’m more attracted to a wider variety of attractions- rather than just coasters.

[johnjniehaus]

31 minutes ago, Shaggy said:

I’ve been saying there’s more removals to come.   And there still are…

Re: SFMM..  I have heard there are as many as 4 coasters potentially on the chopping block at SFMM alone.  Of course that park is, IMO, over saturated with coasters.  So I don’t think the loss of them would prove too detrimental.

Im not as sentimental about any of the removals as many.  Just kind of the way of the times.  I do hope that the SF execs look at a variety of opportunities as their replacements… like more flats and water rides.  For years parks have gone coaster heavy.  As I age, I’m more attracted to a wider variety of attractions- rather than just coasters.

I agree that magic mountain is VERY coaster heavy and I could see them loosing Superman, Viper, Ninja, and X2. The Jet Stream Flume ride would most likely close with Ninja as they are kind of intertwined. I don't want to see magic mountain have coasters stripped out but unfortunately they have some aging ones that are unreliable and could get the same treatment as SFGAv...

 

 Now I don't think the executives are purposely ripping out rides at other parks to promote CP or anything but I do think it's interesting that CP gets 3 coasters investments back to back to back years and still has 5 operational arrow coasters while arrows everywhere else are reaching the end of their service life and other parks can't seem to get a new coaster for years and years. CP just closed Snake River Falls and their sky coaster but I'd bet high stakes that they don't leave that plot empty for 5 seasons like Kings Island has done with The Vortex plot

[Outdoor Man]

10 hours ago, johnjniehaus said:

I agree that magic mountain is VERY coaster heavy and I could see them loosing Superman, Viper, Ninja, and X2. The Jet Stream Flume ride would most likely close with Ninja as they are kind of intertwined. I don't want to see magic mountain have coasters stripped out but unfortunately they have some aging ones that are unreliable and could get the same treatment as SFGAv...

 

 Now I don't think the executives are purposely ripping out rides at other parks to promote CP or anything but I do think it's interesting that CP gets 3 coasters investments back to back to back years and still has 5 operational arrow coasters while arrows everywhere else are reaching the end of their service life and other parks can't seem to get a new coaster for years and years. CP just closed Snake River Falls and their sky coaster but I'd bet high stakes that they don't leave that plot empty for 5 seasons like Kings Island has done with The Vortex plot

 

YYYYYYEP!  I agree with paragraph #2. 

[WoodVengeance]

12 hours ago, johnjniehaus said:

CP just closed Snake River Falls and their sky coaster but I'd bet high stakes that they don't leave that plot empty for 5 seasons like Kings Island has done with The Vortex plot

The situations involving the removals of Snake River Falls and Vortex are vastly different. Cedar Point stated that Snake River Falls was removed "to make way for future expansion", so it's highly likely that the park already has a plan for that area. Last time Cedar Point said something like that was when they announced the removal of Wicked Twister, and we know that was removed to make way for the Boardwalk expansion with the Grand Pavilion and Wild Mouse.

For Vortex however, that was removed primarily due to the high maintenance costs it would've required to keep that ride operational. There was no replacement planned for Vortex, as the park was in the process of building Orion by the time they decided to pull the plug on it. It's also worth noting that a potential replacement for Vortex was likely delayed even further because of the pandemic that affected the entire amusement industry in 2020.

Although Six Flags has already announced replacements for Kingda Ka and La Vibora already being built for 2026, some of the other coasters that closed in 2024 might have to wait a bit for their replacements. I imagine the Anaconda plot in particular is going to remain vacant for quite some time, as that was removed in almost the same fashion as Vortex. (Both Arrow loopers that were removed due to maintenance costs on years both parks were in the process of building new B&M coasters next to Flight of Fear) The main difference being that unlike the removals of Anaconda and pretty much every Six Flags coaster that closed for good in 2024, we were actually told of Vortex's closure beforehand.

[Gordon Bombay]

I’ve always found it a bit humorous that folks here often speak of a “Vortex replacement” as if it’s a sure thing like SF/CF were playing Roller coaster Tycoon and just itching to fill that plot of land with something. I’m sure there are ideas for it, but there’s nothing (both then and now) compelling them to use that spot. Especially with a park that could certainly use its budget on renovating other areas/isn’t hurting for space—and one who’s now under a much larger, budget conscious corporate structure. 

[WoodVengeance]

1 hour ago, Gordon Bombay said:

I’ve always found it a bit humorous that folks here often speak of a “Vortex replacement” as if it’s a sure thing like SF/CF were playing Roller coaster Tycoon and just itching to fill that plot of land with something. I’m sure there are ideas for it, but there’s nothing (both then and now) compelling them to use that spot. Especially with a park that could certainly use its budget on renovating other areas/isn’t hurting for space—and one who’s now under a much larger, budget conscious corporate structure. 

I think many of us have just been spoiled by Cedar Fair with how we used to get big new coasters every 3-5 years. Now that Kings Island is under the new Six Flags chain, it definitely seems like they're taking a more budget-friendly route by hammering in on the family demographic while the chain is investing more into other parks like Great Adventure and Magic Mountain.

[johnjniehaus]

I think Kings Island was probably the #2 park in the CF chain but we have dropped to a lower priority now that parks like magic mountain and great adventure have joined the club. Kings Island is also being marketed as a family park unlike the other thrill seekers destinations. I do agree that the pandemic most likely upset any plans to replace Vortex and that anaconda at KD will not be replaced in the foreseeable future. Let's be honest, almost anything removed at CP is so they can open up a available land for a new attraction... what plot at CP has sat vacant for years on end? (Well I guess they really never replaced the pirate ride). All I'm saying is that CP will always receive good investments and so far has been untouched by the old, maintenance heavy rides removal strategy despite having numerous old arrow coasters in their lineup. Don't get the wrong idea, I do not want to see any arrow coasters close anywhere but I'm curious how the ones at CP are all still going while others across the chain bite the dust. Sure the ones at CP are pretty tame, slower speeds, less stress and force on the track but I'm just wonder how they have lasted 10+ years longer in terms of service life than say Vortex and and anaconda for example? 

[CedarPointer]

I really don't think this is as deep as people are thinking. They've shifted to the Six Flags bankruptcy business model of selling as many cut-rate season passes as possible, then praying that people don't actually come and use them. Since KI is mostly a season pass park, thanks to single-day tickets more than doubling in price in the last 10ish years and season passes barely going up at all, they're going to go through the motions and invest the bare minimum they can get away with.

Why remove things with no warning? Well, you already bought your 2025 season pass, since their pricing strategy basically forces people to buy things sight unseen, and you probably won't still be mad enough by August 2025 to not renew... other than that, they don't particularly care whether their customers are happy or not. Same reason they remove heavily-advertised items from the dining plan because they decided they're too expensive, change the calendar and/or close early at the drop of a hat, cut 4 months from the season like CGA, etc. 

Obviously, this business model worked so well for Six Flags, it's no wonder we're seeing a repeat.  I feel like it's a bad sign (for them) that the tide has been turning against them on social media, with a LOT more non-enthusiasts loudly telling people that the parks are going downhill. 

[disco2000]

1 hour ago, CedarPointer said:

I really don't think this is as deep as people are thinking. They've shifted to the Six Flags bankruptcy business model of selling as many cut-rate season passes as possible, then praying that people don't actually come and use them. Since KI is mostly a season pass park, thanks to single-day tickets more than doubling in price in the last 10ish years and season passes barely going up at all, they're going to go through the motions and invest the bare minimum they can get away with.

Why remove things with no warning? Well, you already bought your 2025 season pass, since their pricing strategy basically forces people to buy things sight unseen, and you probably won't still be mad enough by August 2025 to not renew... other than that, they don't particularly care whether their customers are happy or not. Same reason they remove heavily-advertised items from the dining plan because they decided they're too expensive, change the calendar and/or close early at the drop of a hat, cut 4 months from the season like CGA, etc. 

Obviously, this business model worked so well for Six Flags, it's no wonder we're seeing a repeat.  I feel like it's a bad sign (for them) that the tide has been turning against them on social media, with a LOT more non-enthusiasts loudly telling people that the parks are going downhill. 

But that in and of itself is a strategy and I mentioned the exact same thought previously.

So either this is their strategy that they thought out and people are trying to understand why they are going in that direction or folks are giving them too much credit that there is a strategy behind it and they are simply winging it and doing as they please with no strategy, thought behind it, or concern for long-term consequences.

I guess if they get rid of The Beast, then we know they have no strategy and are simply looking at the O&M spreadsheet and cutting the highest costs rides 

[ReedObsessor]

I was looking forward to going to Kings Dominion in 2025.  It would have been my first trip there since either 1994 or 1995.  I was only 10 or 11, and I wasn't used to coasters yet.  I only rode Hurler and Avalanche at the time, and I remember by older brother riding coasters like Shockwave (another coaster type I missed out on at both "Kings" parks) and Anaconda.  I also remember a log flume and a Rotor ride called the Time Shaft.  I was never there for Volcano or Hypersonic XLC, and my family moved to Dayton, Ohio in 1996 (where we still live today).

My vacation plan was to include this and Busch Gardens Williamsburg, which I last attended in 2006 (I often figure out those dates by looking up coasters built on or near those years, and 2006 was the year before Griffon).  But now I am seriously considering avoiding KD or finding somewhere else to go on vacation this year,

My expectations was that Anaconda would operate in 2025, but be retired at the end of that season.  After all, I felt that Volcano's unexpected demise prolonged Anaconda's life (until a Volcano replacement was built), and that Anaconda had enough similarities to Kings Island's Vortex (the last time I rode Vortex, it was unpleasantly rough) to wind up on the chopping block.

I did not expect Six Flags to go full David Zaslav on any of these coasters!  I'm also talking about Kingda Ka, Green Lantern, Nighthawk, Time Warp & Flight Deck (Canada's Wonderland), Batwing, Superman, and even the flat rides (I consider upcharge attractions exempt).  I know I'm saying things that haven't been confirmed, but I am betting on this.

I understand that a lot of stuff faced cuts due to the effects of the merger.  I don't understand the lack of advance notice.  If they announced these closures at the end of July (that's when they announced the impending closure of Snake River Falls at Cedar Point), missing out on Anaconda would have been unfortunate but something I could easily accept.

I found out about Anaconda's removal ON Christmas Day.  And after having a bad enough year with Top Thrill Lawn Ornament at Cedar Point!

Well, I leave you with this:

The unofficial rule of ride retirements: For any ride that is being retired, whether a roller coaster, a flat ride, or any other non-upcharge attraction, advance notice of the ride's closure must be provided so that fans of these rides can get in their last rides.  This must be enforced unless the ride is unable to operate due to a major incident or malfunction.

 

P.S.  I just heard Universal Orlando is getting rid of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.  A demolition permit was filed on December 26.  The ride is going away forever... next September.  (And that doesn't bother me because 1. They are providing a sendoff, and 2. I rode this back in 2014, and I was not impressed with it.)

[KIBeast]

I rode Anaconda 2 years ago and I did not find it to be a fun coaster at all. The dive under the lake was cool, but beyond that I was not impressed. Although I am dismayed that the recent trend is to not make any announcement on ride closures. I figured with CF management being in control, it would not be a thing.