Amusement park fans are mourning the loss of the world’s tallest roller coaster, Kingda Ka.

But is the New Jersey merry-go-round really about to disappear? The story took a few twists and turns.

It’s usually only when the roller coaster reaches its peak that the riders scream, but just after Six Flags Great Adventure participants strapped into Kingda Ka on Sunday night, they were already shouting, “Long live the king,” chants of the riders as they prepared to take off.

A YouTube video captured what may have been Kingda Ka’s final ride in the ride’s two-decade history at Jackson Township Park, where, at 456 feet, it has long enjoyed status as the world’s top thrill ride. highest in the world.

Rumors, citing anonymous park staff, began circulating on social media this week that Cedar Fair Entertainment, the company that merged with Six Flags earlier this year, might discontinue the attraction — and that Sunday was the last day for the public to try their luck. riding Ka.

Six Flags has not confirmed the coaster’s closure or commented on its future.

“We plan to share ride information and additional park news very soon,” a Six Flags spokesperson said Tuesday. “We will be sure to update you when this information becomes available.”

Roller coaster enthusiast and YouTuber “ElToroRyan” captured what he described as Ka’s “last public train” and uploaded it to the platform that evening.

The video had been viewed more than 125,000 times as of Tuesday morning and sparked emotion from some die-hard roller coaster fans, including calls on Facebook to #SaveKingdaKa. Users commemorated the steel structure by posting flashback photos of the exterior of Kingda Ka’s stone entrance gates, paired with messages such as “Rest in peace, Kingda Ka.”

The conflicting information hasn’t stopped speculation about Ka’s future, and some fans have wondered if the roller coaster is actually gone, or if Cedar Fair plans to rehabilitate and improve the ride or even move it elsewhere .

Since its opening in 2005, Kingda Ka has attracted riders from all over the world. In just 3.5 seconds, it propels riders to 125 mph, sending them up a 90-degree incline to the top, then back down in a 270-degree spiral.

Not only was it the fastest roller coaster at the time of its launch, but Ka also gained media attention for its engineering feat; its hydraulic launch transports riders near the heights of the Washington Monument and the Egyptian pyramids before returning them to safety.

“It means a lot to tons of different people,” said Jason Balinskas, who described the energy during the ride’s purported final ride as “electric” in a Facebook post Monday.

Despite the success of roller coasters, they are also known for their expensive maintenance and frequent repairs.

As the summer season intensified in 2023, the state ordered the closure of Kingda Ka after its operators reported a “mechanical failure of a launch system component”, preventing the car from crossing the peak – or what some people think. thrill-seekers call it a “throwback.”

Users of the theme park’s blog “Coaster Force” suggested that the cost of maintenance could be a contributing factor if Cedar Fair were to actually close the ride.

“I understand it’s an incredibly expensive ride to operate and maintain,” one user wrote, “but you’d think such an iconic roller coaster would be worth saving.”