if this really is the end (im delusionally keeping hope for now) it might really mark the turning point moment for this park. The last half decade really has been such a sad decline for this park already, and losing Ka would erase about half of the identity it has left. Growing up in middle school riding it was THE rite of passage once you hit the height mark, and I still remember being in awe when one of my friends first came to school in the "I conquered Ka" shirt.
The last few years, even pre-COVID, the park felt noticeably emptier in the summer as tickets got more expensive and investment felt like it was getting cheaper. I remember circa 2013 when, on a mid-summer weekday, lines for EVERYTHING were an hour plus long (and this was before so many of the rides got dropped down in the number of trains operating). Batman was always lined up down the stairs, Superman + GL took ages, and the "big 3" of Nitro, Ka, and Toro would always take up a major chunk of time. Contrast with this past July on a Saturday, I was able to get on every single coaster and be on the highway by 2pm.
Even as they've added more rides, the park has felt cheaper and cheaper. Removing all the major shows, not updating themeing, all while pushing to seem more like a luxury resort experience has made this park go from a tier below Disney/Universal to Morey's Pier with bigger coasters. A real shame.
You used to be able to see real concerts here for the price of admission. Now you get slow operated rides that haven't been painted in a decade, and a dice roll on whether or not the big rides are even gonna be open when you go.
