Makes me wonder if Kingda Ka could be given similar treatment now that CF/SF have merged.
That ride could definitely use a make over and im sure Gadv would love to lose the headache of the hydraulic launch.
Only thing that sucks about KK is the over the should restraints...which i believe are required by NJ law. TTD was always a superior ride IMO largely bc the lapbar and less bulky trains just make for a much more pleasant experience.
I doubt they will do the conversion. Word is that cost as much as the original build of Top Thrill Dragster. It was also only done because of the serious injury caused by the ride. KK has a different train design and I know they did a thorough check on the trains after the accident at CP.
Yes the hydraulic launch on the that model is a nightmare. It seems the only park that runs theirs consistently in the states is Hershey. I'm not sure about those outside the US.
I would think that they might look at going to the second gen restraints on Maverick at CP. Those are great and really made Maverick climb my favorite rides list. And yes the shoulder restraints are NJ mandated KK was designed for a slightly modified TTD train but when the state said no go they did the newer train.
Six Flags has sunk some serious money into Great Aventure this season from what I heard (all of the next is from second hand). The new coaster and the log flume work isn't done yet. But there was a ton of cosmetic stuff done so far for the 50th year. Toro is running smoother but not original smoothness but more work is planned next off season. Pathways have been added/modified. One from El Toro to KK which was desperately needed.
But the biggest shock from the video I saw was KK launching while Zoomanjaro cycled that was supposed to be a serious NO. But to see the KA train dropping beside a dropping Zoomanjaro was cool again. I got to ride Zoomanjaro in it's first year and have that happen and it was wild to drop alongside the coaster train.