Six Flags buys ArieForce One

this is GREAT news and speculation about which SF park it will go to my guess is one that does not have an RMC "woodie". unless i'm missing a big one, off the top of my head that leaves KI, GA and Carowinds. personally, since GA has lost so much in such a short period of time, i think it makes the most sense and they SHOULD have plenty of room for it!

This is really a 2-park race IMHO between KI and Carowinds, the only 2 parks in the chain without an RMC (though SFGAdv is always a possibility since it would give the east coast park a pair of RMCs similar to what SFMM has). However, it seems ridiculous that SF bought this coaster, but is going to take 2-3 years to move it. Just more typical Six Flags silliness - spend a bunch of money on something and then not know what to do with and then applying that purchase in a half-hearted way.

I am curious to see if the purchase will require SF to keep the coaster's name, because John Arie is so proud of the coaster that he would force its name to live on forever. The fact that SF is referencing this coaster by name multiple times suggests that they have also bought the trademarked name.

Six Flags confirmed that they are keeping the name and I cannot imagine that was not a condition of the sale.

I can see not rushing this to open for 2027, since Six Flags is already well into its promotional cycle for next season. But if the coaster isn't open until 2029 that would be a bit disappointing. By promising 2028 or 2029 for the reopening, I suspect that Six Flags is giving itself wiggle room in case it discovers something that needs a major fix during the move and reinstallation.

@Robert, what you say makes perfect sense but I DO think SF wanted their hands on this ride and i have credit them for making it happen so a competitor couldn't get it. as much as i'd love to see it go to an enchanted park, that's not going to happen.

It is/was an excellent coaster but the final break was thigh bustingly painful. Hopefully that experience will not endure.

I went to ride this about a month before it closed and it's definitely going to benefit any park it goes to unless Six Flags is foolish enough to put it into a park that already has an IBox. However, I really see three properties as the prime locations...

Carowinds: The all-around best option for the move in my opinion. Carowinds hasn't added a major coaster since Copperhead Strike in 2019, the ride would be a physical and thematic fit for the park, nothing else they've got really contains the same type of elements, and all their rivals already have a RMC or similar. Some say capacity is an issue, but with a good crew it's in the same ballpark as many of the park's other major coasters, and in my experience I've never encountered a line over a half hour here.

Kings Island: While they don't have a RMC or similar, I feel they'd be much better off commissioning something fully custom rather than trying to save a couple million by modifying this one. The park has a lot of topography that both makes constructing a linear ride difficult and offers a unique canvas to create something truly original. Additionally, if this were to be built it would be one of only two major casters in the park not capable of three train operation (with the other being Bat), which is not great from a throughput perspective.

Knott's Berry Farm: The dark horse option for sure, but one I feel a lot of enthusiasts are quick to dismiss without considering the possibility. While the fit would be tricky, there are a couple ways Knott's could put the coaster on their property, and it would undoubtedly provide an experience guests can't get on any other coaster at the park. An "America" coaster is also a fair fit for "America's first theme park," and with the LA Olympics coming up in 2028, it's a possibility that should at least be given some decent consideration.

With regards to the timeline, two years is pretty typical for a relocation that's more complex than transporting from one flat rectangular plot to another flat plot of similar side. If they were to start today, I'd struggle to see completing the move before fall 2027, and at that point you might as well delay to the 2028 season.

Given the circumstances I would not count SFMM out. They need a huge new coaster quickly to replace X2, and look what happened when SFGAdv took out Kingda Ka, even with a new coaster (Flash). With the economy the way it is I don't think they're going to want to spend the money on a new ride of that scale at this exact moment. There are very few options that would make fans happy as an X2 replacement without spending major $$ but I think people would be happy with one of the best coasters in the country going in that spot. If Viper is in the way I don't doubt they'd be happy to finally get rid of that too. Even though they already have a similar RMC, this is the same management team that built Bukanawa right after building the Flash, and added Ragin Cajun when they already had the Dark Knight. Both coasters are also low capacity in a park that really needs high capacity. With the additions of Siren's Curse and Shoreline Pier, SF's management has shown that they are willing to make quick decisions in order to salvage a season at their biggest parks.

@the_man26 - Your description of the coaster going to SFMM does make a lot of sense as a replacement for X2, but if that did indeed happen, it would be one of the most Six Flags things EVER. While I also think AJ makes some good points for Knott's to get AF1, all of the likely landing spots for this coaster would be on the eastern half of the country. Shipping this all the way across the US to California just to replace a coaster that has to be removed. While AF1 would be a hit with the coaster fans, the GP would see it as almost completely duplicitous with Twisted Colossus, and wouldn't really move the needle, which is what an X2 replacement would need to do.