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| Kong | |
|---|---|
| Previously known as Hangman atOpryland USA (1995-1997) | |
 | |
| Six Flags Discovery Kingdom | |
| Park section | Oasis Plaza |
| Coordinates | 38°08′24″N122°14′02″W / 38.139902°N 122.233785°W /38.139902; -122.233785 |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | May 1998 (1998-05) |
| Cost | $5,000,000 |
| Opryland USA | |
| Coordinates | 36°12′23″N86°41′44″W / 36.206505°N 86.695676°W /36.206505; -86.695676 |
| Status | Removed |
| Opening date | May 1, 1995 (1995-05-01) |
| Closing date | October 26, 1997 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel –Inverted |
| Manufacturer | Vekoma |
| Model | Suspended Looping Coaster (689m Standard) |
| Lift/launch system | Chainlift hill |
| Height | 109.3 ft (33.3 m) |
| Drop | 103.5 ft (31.5 m) |
| Length | 2,260 ft (690 m) |
| Speed | 50 mph (80 km/h) |
| Inversions | 5 |
| Duration | 1:36 |
| Max vertical angle | 71° |
| Capacity | 460 riders per hour |
| G-force | 2.5 |
| Height restriction | 52–78 in (132–198 cm) |
| Trains | Single train with 10 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 20 riders per train. |
| Kong at RCDB | |
Kong is aninverted roller coaster located atSix Flags Discovery Kingdom amusement park inVallejo, California. TheSuspended Looping Coaster (SLC) model was manufactured byVekoma and first opened to the public asHangman atOpryland USA on May 1, 1995.[1] Following Opryland's closure in 1997, the roller coaster was sold to Premier Parks and moved to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, where it reopened as Kong in May 1998.[2]
Kong was previously located at the now-defunctOpryland USA theme park inNashville, Tennessee where it was known asThe Hangman. The ride was officially announced on October 8, 1994.[3] Opened on May 1, 1995, it was notably the last major attraction to be added to Opryland before the park closed at the end of the 1997 season.
The Hangman was located in the American West area of the park, in an area formerly occupied by the Tin Lizzies antique car ride. Upon Opryland's closure, The Hangman was disassembled and sold toPremier Parks. Soon afterwards, it was relocated and rebuilt atSix Flags Discovery Kingdom asKong after Premier Parks acquired theSix Flags chain.[4]
Kong debuted as the first coaster at The New Marine World Theme Park (later Six Flags Discovery Kingdom) on Memorial Day Weekend of 1998. At that time Kong became the tallest and longestinverted roller coaster in Northern California, missing the speed record by .3 miles per hour (0.48 km/h) and achieving the length record by only 6 inches (15 cm). Today,The Flash: Vertical Velocity andMedusa, hold the height and speed records in Discovery Kingdom and Northern California.
Kong's entrance was previously loaded near the iWerks theater (Also known as the "Dino Sphere"). In 2007, the park moved the attraction's entrance to Oasis Plaza. Guests now walk under the ride to get to the loading platform.
DuringFright Fest 2016, Kong was given avirtual reality (VR) upgrade. The experience would be called Rage of the Gargoyles. Riders had the option to wearSamsung Gear VR headsets, powered byOculus to create a 360-degree, 3D experience while riding. The illusion was themed to a fighter jet, where riders flew through a futuristic city as co-pilots battling demonic creatures.[5] On February 8, 2017, Six Flags announced that Kong would offer a new VR experience known as The New Revolution Galactic Attack. It was billed as the world's first mixed Virtual Reality Experience powered by Oculus VR. The experience was centered around an alien invasion in space.[6]
2021-Present Six Flags Discovery Kingdom removes the orange train on Kong reducing the hourly capacity to 460 rph. While riding the coaster, you can see the plastic pieces of the orange train under and around the transfer track.
Kong starts with a 115-foot (35 m) lift hill. Followed by that is a 103.5-foot (31.5 m) drop, a rollover, sidewinder, turn and back to back inline twists, before slamming to a stop, or trimming into the brakes.
