CHANG WATCH: The Official Topic

[CoasterNick3157]

They do that (Think about taking out bull) and I'll never go back to the park. If I had a choice to take a coaster out will be Iron Wolf.

[neil]

Today, Screamscape updated that this could be Chang's last week end at Kentucky Kingdom. Also, they made it sound like if it were brought to SFGAM, it may not take the place of Whizzer, even though Whizzer may only have a few years left.

[300highgame]

I say take out go-carts and SSA and extend the lifthill into HH kinda so it sorta goes over the lazy river

[BrianPlencner]

Just wanted to pass along this note from the Village of Gurnee.

The regularly scheduled meeting of the Gurnee Zoning Board of Appeals slated for Wednesday, September 23, 2009 has been canceled.

The next scheduled Zoning Board of Appeals meeting is Wednesday, October 28, 2009 beginning at 7:30 P.M. at the Gurnee Village Hall, 325 North OPlaine Road.

DATED:September 18, 2009

Molly Bacon
Associate Planner

I again want to remind everyone that, due to the height of Chang (154 feet) that a height variance is needed from the Village of Gurnee. The process starts with the Gurnee Zoning Board of Appeals. If approved, it moves in front of the full village board.

Meetings are once a month around the same time every month. Seeing that the meeting for September has also been canceled, we will have to wait to see if the park does anything in the coming months. IF this is going to happen, I would think Six Flags would put the request in front of the ZBoA sometime in the spring of 2010, so that all the paperwork could be completed in time for a Fall 2010 start to the project. With start, I mean land cleaning / site prep at SFGAm for arrival of parts from SFKK in Jan/Feb 2011. This timeline is, of course, just a guess on my part.

--Brian

[monsterfan99]

^ That would go with the idea of Chang going for refurbishment for a year. Still amazing to thing SF Kentucky Kingdom might loose it's best/headliner ride to a park with the same ride already there.

[cycamps]

I'm sure if Chang was actually moved here, it would receive some sort of new non stand-up trains. B&M trains on IW would be nice; it might make the ride a little more bearable.

[SFaddiction84]

Actually, If they can show Solid Numbers to show that Removing, Rehabing and RELOCATIING this Coaster will Prove Better for the company, Bankruptcy Court will Allow it! It should not be Considered Debt if they can show Solid Numbers that it will actually Help The Company!

If they can show that this ride brings in NO extra Revenue to its current park and A. The park will loose no money by removing it, and B. Putting it at Great America WILL increase revenue at are park! Bankruptcy Court will Approve it!

[Ilovthevu']

To me, this one of those times when I say that if you move Chang, and give it sitdown or floorless trains, it would be a good move. It's because SFKK doesn't have that many great rides, but this one is pretty darn good at that place. Usually, relocation is stupid like Greezed Lightin has been. You have it at Great America, than you sent it to Over Georgia, and now it's at SFKK. That to me was a lot of wasted money moving that ride to 2 other parks.

However, this ride actually seems worthy of moving IF the trains change. To me, if you are going to move Whizzer, Demon, Shockwave at SFOT, sadly La Vibora at SFOT, Ninja at SFStL, and so on, those moves would be worthless as those rides have either had their time, or they are just junky rides. I question moving Scream! from Magic Mountain (I'm not saying that they are planning it, but I'm just wondering about that coaster.) because to me that ride from what I've seen is like our Iron Wolf. It's empty when the other rides are crowded. Is that because of the parking lot, is that because there are so many roller coasters, is it because the capacity is so high, is it because it's kind of hidden, or do people just not like it?

On a sidenote, can you believe that Batman the Ride is actually 17 years old, but yet Whizzer is 33 (It doesn't seem that old when compared to American Eagle, Whizzer, and Demon)??

[onyxhotel08]

Man, this is far away to talk about so much already. If they do keep Iron Wolf at first, then obviously the SWF, DDD and Demon area will be the mos tlikely location for Chang. DDD does belong closer to the front of the park and the SSA area is perfect lfying over HH would be aawesome.

2010: Space Shuttle America gone/Dare Devil Dive moved/Glow in the Dark Parade
2011: Demon gone/Chang

[tp41190]

I hope they dont put on floorless trains. This ride was actually smooth as glass and the stand up trains are VERY comfortable...because they are the B&M trains.

[Galvan]

Well, It has all but been confirmed that Chang is out at SFKK.... so let the rumors start

[BP317]

Astroworlds old SLC has now arrived freshly painted at LaRonde, a park that already has a BTR clone

[monsterfan99]

Astroworlds old SLC has now arrived freshly painted at LaRonde, a park that already has a BTR clone

This chain is just full of idiots. A park that could use it, had the dang coaster there and it moves? Another move that gives me full faith the park will keep both as stand-ups and running.

[Jcoaster95]

Even look at the notes on the rcdb page

http://www.rcdb.com/8662.htm

[Ilovthevu']

To me, the La Ronde thing isn't AS bad a move as another stand up coming to Great America. Why? It's because the SLC has a different layout than the Batman clone, and the Batman clone isn't a horrible ride so people wouldn't necessarily be turned off by the SLC if they don't know how the SLC rides are. After they ride it, they might hate it, but they don't know that at first. It will get them to the park for a year which is ultimately the short term goal. Universal has 2 dueling inverted coasters. However, for our park I think with how bad Iron Wolf is to a lot of people, they would totally dismiss the new stand up coaster as being horrible, and rough.

[monsterfan99]

^ I'm going to disagree with you there because of how Chang looks. When you look at Chang, it looks more like Raging Bull with loops then Iron Wolf due to sheer size. If I did not know coasters and saw Chang for the first time, I would no idea it was the same company that made them.

[Ilovthevu']

I wasn't talking about the same company, but rather that they are both stand up coasters, and people are going to notice that. They have to advertise what type of ride it is. People are going to associate stand up coasters with Iron Wolf, and not give Chang a chance.

[monsterfan99]

http://www.wlky.com/news/21043204/detail.html#

Chang is gone from Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. Let the rumors continue.

[BP317]

largest water park expansion in Kentucky Kingdom's history

McClean said Chang is the only ride being removed at this time

With the closures of Chang and Twisted Sisters the future of the theme park is looking very doubtful. Id hate to see another theme park go Geauga Lake but thats what it looks like is hapenning.

[UWW-10]

^^ And according to some of those comments on the news article...they aren't too thrilled.

However, everytime I have ever been to the park, Chang has always been a walk-on and that's always been with a 1-train operation anyways, while the waterpark has always been the draw in terms of lines, especially when Deluge came along. Very seldom have I ever heard reports of Chang running 2 trains. I'm not saying it hasn't happened, but it doesn't happen very often.

[FParker185]

was just about to post a link to this story. But yeah the only time Chang ran 2 trains was for employee training purposes. I've seen it with 90+ min lines running 1 train. They only bought 2 trains for the ride, luckily that's a moot point if it does in fact grace SFGAm in the near future.

[Goku1910]

^Well if it does come to SFGAm....which is starting to look plausible, It will need two trains and a Flash Pass for sure.

[CoasterDave316]

was just about to post a link to this story. But yeah the only time Chang ran 2 trains was for employee training purposes. I've seen it with 90+ min lines running 1 train. They only bought 2 trains for the ride, luckily that's a moot point if it does in fact grace SFGAm in the near future.

It ran 2 trains when Galvan demanded it. I saw it.

[Jackluver18]

So if we do get Chang, would they change the name of it?

[FParker185]

I dont know about that, must have asked on a day when they were doing training anyways

Also, the ride will probably need 3 shiny new trains, of course will will be built with a Q-bot enterance, and I would guess the name will change as Chang makes no sense in any part of SFGAm. My wild guess is that SF will continue with the Bizarro theme, which also makes no sense anywhere at SFGAm, but at least that fits in with how SF has been doing things recently.