Chang may not be opening at Six Flags Great America (near Chicago) as everyone had thought. Rumors have the stand-up roller coaster moving to Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, NJ), arguably the company’s flagship theme park. The rumor also has Chang replacing the Arrow looper, Great American Scream Machine.
Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom’s Chang started coming down last winter only to resurface at Six Flags Great America. The move seemed a bit weird as that park already had a stand-up coaster in Iron Wolf, but 2011 was thought to be a year with a lot of shuffling around of rides as it will be Six Flags 35th anniversary.
The rumor appears to be based on a Coaster Fusion message board thread that where a long-time member (I’m assuming the site owner) states:
We have confirmed with a supervisor in rides that Six Flags Great Adventure will be closing Scream Machine as of July 1, 2010. The ride is getting to old to find parts for, since S&S is only focusing on their new rides and the X coasters. The park will become home to Chang from Kentucky Kingdom which will replace Scream Machine. -Coaster Fusion
Shockingly, this news upsets some people. I know that the reputation of stand-up coasters is not good. If you’ve never ridden Chang then you may not know that there are good, even great stand-up coasters (2 or 3, at least). This makes sense to me, but there are actually people who are sad to see Great American Scream Machine go!
On Six Flags Great Adventures Facebook page there are comments like: “SAVE THE GREAT AMERICAN SCREAM MACHINE!!!!!!! It’s a park Icon.”
There’s obviously something in the Jersey water. Great Adventure fans should be happy that they’re getting a much, much, much better roller coaster. I gave Chang an 8.0 (Great) and Great American Scream Machine a 4.0 (Below Average). The ratings should speak for themselves, but here are links to my Chang review and Great American Scream Machine review. I like this new CEO if he’s behind this move as rumors suggest.
What’s Your Take?
What do you think of the rumors about Chang replacing Great American Scream Machine? Leave a comment below.[poll id = 10]
Coaster Critic 
40 responses to “Chang Could Replace Great American Scream Machine at Great Adventure”
When I went to SFNJ Great Amer scream machine actually seemed to be a pretty popular ride. I don't know it it is because of history, location or just because it's a coaster. My wife and I skipped it based on your review and comments on here and focused on El Toro, Nitro, Kingda Ka, etc.
I'm sad to see GASM go because it's probably the most intense coaster at the park among other things. The first three loops in the front rows are some of the most powerful I've experienced this side of a Schwarzkopf looper. I just loved the breakneck pace of the first portion, it kind of made one think "oh my…we can't be going into this loop this faaaAAHHH!" lol I also loved how you could really feel the train gathering momentum while going down the hill, it was like being on a runaway freight train! The second half, while not as intense as the first, did provide some great hangtime which you don't really see anymore on coasters.
Unfortunately the coaster just wasn't for everyone; you kind of had to master the art of defensive riding if you wanted to come off the back rows without some type of pain. I myself would rate it an 8/10 but I can totally see the 4 being justified.
I'm sure I'll enjoy Chang but it's just sad to see an old icon like this get the axe. I hope I can get a hold of a wheel or something! hehe
NOOOOOOOOOOO! I was looking forward to Chang, Great America being my home park. Iron Wolf is horrible. I hope this rumor is false.
this makes alot of sense considering ho much six flags is now investing in great adventure and it lacks a standup coaster. if this is true when would it open?
You would see it in 2011, probably when the park opens for the season.
Seems to make sense to me. Two B&M stand-ups in one park (Great America) seemed like a strange move?
yeah, but one good thing that can come out of this: one more coaster mueseum exhibit. I was one of the many: Yes, but I'm sad to see GASM go people.
Six flags is unpredictable. you may get lucky. (hey, so may i)
yup.
It does not make sense to remove this coaster. Great Adventure has plenty of room to add CHANG plus build thier coaster count. The GASM is a very popular coaster and the only one of its kind on the east coast;Viper on the west coast. I don't think Magic Mountain would remove that. Great Adventure needs to realize that they are a premier Six Flags park and should not remove rides that have no issues. They need to scrap Skull Mountain which is a total waste.
CC, I've always loved your site but you're being pretty uncaring in this news update. If you lived in NJ, you'd understand. Personally, I'm excited to see Chang come to our park, and I agree with your review of GASM, but I'm still sad to see it go.
It has a presence at GADV that an outsider just couldn't understand. It was once the world's tallest and fastest coaster, and on good days it supplies a smooth ride. I went yesterday to get my last ride on it, and it was running really smoothly. The headbanging only occurs sometimes.
I can't think of a good example, but I'd be like Carowinds removing Thunder Road. I want Chang, but I'm REALLY going to miss GASM. A lot of people love the ride, and I "liked" it.
GASM better get a heck of a good closing ceremony, and a HUGE spot in that Coaster Museum.
Arrow is gone. their coasters are right behind them. At least the ones S&S thinks about fixing. I wonder if the whole floorless Chang trains rumor holds with the switch to Great Adventure. The Chang trains go to Iron Wolf, the track goes to Great Adventure. GASM is not that big of a loss if it means it is being replaced by a beloved B&M.
It would be sad to see it go. But I think Chang will really bring the park together. Since Arrow has been gone for the greater decade, it is harder to get certain parts or anything for the coasters. But what ever happens, I'm for it.
-SF General
If this is true, I will be very sad to see another classic Arrow looper taken down. It was an Arrow looper that started my love afair with coasters, and GASM is such a great ride. Oh, and Lance…GASM isn't the only Arrow still in operation on the east coast. Vortex at King's Island is still going strong.
oh just gonna miss it well by half a year but still
Same here.
I was at SFGA 2day. If this is true then i had my last ride on the GASM, not only is it sad that they are taking it down, but they also have it plastered with AXE advertisements. Only one train had the traditional patriotic color-way, the other one was green and black, such a shame.
ya the only real question i have is what the heck are they going to put up in great america then? if t still says there is a new attraction coming in spring 2011 what could it be? i hope they have something ood up there sleeves. to bad i was actually liking the idea for chang coming to my home park…oh well lol maybe ill get lucky.
why would they make it floorless when Bizarro is almost right next to it?
If they close GASM im gonna b pissed!! Last year i tryed 2g2 Great Adventure but Kingda Ka closed for da whole season, so we put our trip off a year, now GASM may close so we will have 2 delay our trip another year!! Im gettin SOOOOOO pissed!! Great Adventure needs 2 get it 2gether. Personally, I have always thought that removing a coaster 2 put i a new 1 is da STUPIDEST MOVE EVER!! Why don't they put Chang in a different spot? Batman and Robin da Chiller was scrapped, put Chang in that area…DUH!!!
Ehh… sorry travis but they put the dar knight there, and I doubt they'll get rid of their only wild mouse. GASM is closing for financial reasons anyway, as well as not closing 'till July 1st
bummer
It has been confirmed by Six Flags that Chang is not going to Great America.
They have confirmed via Facebook that the last day of operation will be July 18.
The last time I rode GASM it was senselessly rough to the point of nausea. Last November in the back seat. But the ride really defines the skyline of the park, as one enters from the parking lot.
Tomorrow is the final day for GASM. I thought that this ride would one day be replaced but not for 2011. It looks like the layout of Chang (via Google maps) may just about fit in the area of B&R Chiller, with the lift hill extending to the old Freefall spot. In a Photoshop overlay, it looks like Chang may just clear the Dark Knight. I was hoping they would re-open the back of Movietown/ Old County area again; they still have the bumper cars and Music Expresss just rotting away back there.
Scream Machine closes tonight. I can't really complain because I never rode it.
And I agree with DaveM. In fact, why don't they just close the Dark Knight coaster and give the area a brand new theme? Great Adventure did build El Toro in 2006 and gave the surrounding area a Mexican theme, but no area is Chinese themed.
Everyone wants Movietown to be rethemed and the Dark Knight removed. No matter how much I want this to happen, Six Flags inveseted $7 Million on that terrible ride, and since it's been only up for 2 years, that won't be taken down unless the lines get EVEN SMALLER. The GASM never had a line for the past 3 years unless the ride was down. I still think they should have removed the entire pirate themed section (which includes Skull Mountain) and rethemed it to a Chinese theme. I mean there is a Panda Express back there.
Every park is focusing on SFGA because its one of the richest parks of all of them and on the news one day it said six flags great adventure is the greatest six flags park ever made so why not make it better 🙂
I rode the Scream Machine on the Last Day July 18, 2010…..The ride is historical to jersey because it was one of the first REAL rollercoasters at the park….Yes we have had others at the time, but nothing to the degree of scream machine…The stories that can be told, especially of the headaches this ride has caused, it is a rough, but memorable ride….On the last day everybody got to go on twice, if you could handle it….RIP
My personal opinion is that I am very sad to see Great American Scream Machine go. That was my first roller coaster ever! I always loved that ride from the start. It was fun, and a little rough, and just an all out good ride. I'm sad to see my first ever roller coaster go, but I would also like Chang to come to SFGA. I've never done a stand up coaster and would like to do one.
I HATE Six flags for this. NO ride will ever be good enough to replace GASM. I'll miss it,
Check out my tribute at my youtube channel' coastercrazy 9
http://www.jacksonnjonline.com/2010/08/05/exclusi…
An exclusive first look at CHANG! They didn't refer to it by name, but they did show a layout page, and it looks awesome. 😀
Nice find.
I'm going on another coaster trip in a few days, I'll be hitting two parks, Six flags Great Adventure, and Coney Island so I can ride the Cyclone. I'll hope to take a few pics of the construction site when I get there.
Pablo, I understand that you, like many other coaster lovers don't think that skull mountain is an important attraction and should be replaced with another, scarier, ride, but the fact is that with a big park like Great Adventure, they can't just pile thrills on top of thrills endlessley. with the new edition of Chang, they will have practicaly every type of coaster excluding a Gigacoaster. The only varities of coasters they won't have are small ones. After Chang, I'm afraid that will be most of the new rides coming to Great Adventure.
Rumors going around that Chang will recieve a Green Lantern theme…No confirmation, but just recently, Six Flags aquired rights to the upcoming Green Lantern movie to use as theming for a ROLLER COASTER…
This would technically make sense, seeing as Chang is being built RIGHT NEXT to Superman: Ultimate Flight…
Another rumor going around is that the first loop to Scream Machine MAY remain there…No word on this, though.
I believe I saw a Chang train on a flatbed headed south out of Chicago today. I know it was a newer style B&M stand-up that had red seats with yellow on the back. The lower portion was covered, so I couldn't confirm the body color.
It's official. SFGAdv just announced Green Lantern. http://www.sixflags.com/greatAdventure/rides/gree…
A floor less stand up sounds awful