Which Ride Manufacturer Will KI/SIX Use the Most in the Next 10 Years?

[Diamondback_Is_King]

Will we see the same ride manufacturers that KI has used in the past, or something new? That's my question for you! I personally think Vekoma, but that's just me.

[WoodVengeance]

Vekoma is a strong contender when you factor in their reliability, smooth ride experiences (at least for their new coasters) and lower height requirements compared to B&M. Vekoma already appears to be a manufacturer Six Flags wants to build a strong relationship with, as the combined chain has purchased at least six Vekoma coasters since 2023. Something like a multi-launch would work great, but I could also seeing it being something more unique like what Magic Mountain is getting. Heck, something like a Vekoma Flyer would be an incredibly solid addition to the park. I have also previously endorsed the idea of a Tilt Coaster coming to the park, but that no longer seems likely because a certain "other park" nearby decided to beat us to the punch with that.

Given Cedar Fair's previous favoritism towards them, I could also see another B&M being built at the park. Admittedly, I would personally view it as a boring decision to go with another B&M, but it would still be a popular hit with the general public, so I couldn't really blame the park for wanting to play it safe in that regard.

I do think Vekoma and B&M are going to be the manufacturers Six Flags works with most for new coasters, but I also want to throw in the possibility of a Gerstlauer Infinity for Kings Island as well, considering it was an option on one of the surveys the park put out last year, and those surveys do seem to strongly hint at future additions coming to different Six Flags parks. Zamperla could also work, though I doubt Six Flags wants to work for them for anything beyond a typical family coaster given the issues with TT2.

[SonofBaconator]

I think they’ll do B&M for parks that need that larger investment and higher capacity, Vekoma for parks that need something different, and potentially S&S clones for the majority of former CF parks that would be used as filler.

[DoomPlague]

We're definitely reaching a saturation point with B&M models but that probably won't stop them from putting a B&M dive everywhere they can.

[DJSkyFoxx]

This is going to be the renaissance era for Vekoma in the states I feel. 

[SonofBaconator]

  On 3/19/2025 at 1:30 AM, DoomPlague said:

We're definitely reaching a saturation point with B&M models but that probably won't stop them from putting a B&M dive everywhere they can.

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I think it’s because they’re so easy to market and the average non enthusiast park-goer isn’t going to care if there is another version somewhere else. 

You could apply that logic to boomerangs, freespins, and so on.

[ReedObsessor]

My thoughts:

B&M: less so due to saturation. An exception would be the Family Invert, which could potentially replace Arrow suspended coasters.

RMC: not that likely. There's room for conversions, along with new rides, but I think the relationship won't improve anytime soon.

Intamin: Zimmerman isn't over the rocky past with Intamin. That said, I cannot rule them out for a Ka replacement.

Vekoma: this new era does seem to be the next big thing. However, to me it doesn't feel like there are that many modern Vekomas right now.  

Zamperla: after Top Thrill Lawn Ornament, I see them being restricted to flat rides, mice, and smaller scale rides.

Mack: it feels like this is the one that is going to be getting a lot of newer rides, with the extreme Spinners leading the way. Of course, this is just rumors at this point.

S&S: In terms of ride experience, I would love to see more of these. Unfortunately, with many of their coasters being problematic, I can't see anything more than 4D Free Spins at this point.

Some names you left out:

Premier: though AlpenFury is just the first new Premier coaster in legacy Cedar Fair parks (the others were Paramount era), I can see growth there. This includes potential retracking of rides like old Arrow loopers (not including mega-loopers).

Gerstlauer: Not many coasters as of now, and I don't see many coming. I'd love to see a 15 inversion Infinity Coaster one day. That said, does Hangtime at Knotts have a lot of downtime.

GCI, Gravity Group: not sure how to answer that, since wooden coasters often get maintained and re-tracked using their parts.

I'm not including SBF Visa (primarily kid/family oriented), Zierer (family oriented with two exceptions) Jinma (Chinese manufacturer with a lot of copycats), or Skyline Attractions (they earned this.)

Edited April 18 by ReedObsessor
Added another manufacturer to the list