Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) Discussion Thread

[DevilsFlight]

I agree with Ryan. El Toro was built for extreme ejector airtime. Just like Skyrush. It has gotten rough but hopefully they'll fix that. Still it's my favorite wooden coaster bar none.

[Nitro1118]

The only area of roughness I've found on Toro is the turnaround, which is only in the wheel seats. Non-wheel seats are still butter-smooth.

[Superbatboy]

I better hurry and get out to Gradv to finally ride Toro if people are saying it's starting to get rough. Wanna experience the ride before they start putting trims everywhere.

[ScreaminNewEngland]

They wouldn't do that

[boldikus]

as opposed to El Toro that would launch you to your death without even blinking an eye.

 

El Toro is the most appropriately named coaster I've ridden. And agreed about the turnaround being rough, but I havent noticed any other sections that are. If you ride it in the middle seat of the last car on either train the ride is smooth as butter.

[El Toro_Ryan]

as opposed to El Toro that would launch you to your death without even blinking an eye.

 

El Toro is the most appropriately named coaster I've ridden. And agreed about the turnaround being rough, but I havent noticed any other sections that are. If you ride it in the middle seat of the last car on either train the ride is smooth as butter.

 

I completely agree with you. And yeah, the ride really isn't that rough, just the turnaround. The twister section is still surprisingly glass smooth. I guess you can say it's rough for a prefab but I think the humid climate of NJ might partially be at fault here. I know wooden coasters don't age well in humid climates. (*cough* Gwazi! *cough*) And I rode Toro the other day after a rain shower and it was glass smooth, like as smooth as when the ride first opened and that was in the last row so if you want to ride the ride in its original form, check it out after it rains.

[Password121]

as opposed to El Toro that would launch you to your death without even blinking an eye.

 

El Toro is the most appropriately named coaster I've ridden. And agreed about the turnaround being rough, but I havent noticed any other sections that are. If you ride it in the middle seat of the last car on either train the ride is smooth as butter.

I second this. I'll be at the park tomorrow night and Sunday to get some re-rides, but I rode twice in two of the first five trains in opening day in the morning, well before the ride had warmed up or reached any sort of "mid-season form." That being said, as it was for those two rides, it destroyed Intimidator 305 as my number one overall coaster. I rode in the "magic seat," 6-2, both times. I didn't feel and ounce of roughness and it's ridiculous to say it's rough in any way, unless it has gotten rougher in two months (which is almost impossible). I'll be sure to get multiple rides this weekend to experience it warmed up, but I don't expect anything other than it was, other than

[strz]

Get ready for next Thursday, July 3rd to be one of the first on Zumanjaro- season pass holders only on Thursday/ GP on Friday, July 4th.

 

Official AP release is here:

 

http://www.app.com/story/news/local/2014/06/26/zumanjaro-opens-thursday/11423221/

[El Toro_Ryan]

as opposed to El Toro that would launch you to your death without even blinking an eye.

 

El Toro is the most appropriately named coaster I've ridden. And agreed about the turnaround being rough, but I havent noticed any other sections that are. If you ride it in the middle seat of the last car on either train the ride is smooth as butter.

I second this. I'll be at the park tomorrow night and Sunday to get some re-rides, but I rode twice in two of the first five trains in opening day in the morning, well before the ride had warmed up or reached any sort of "mid-season form." That being said, as it was for those two rides, it destroyed Intimidator 305 as my number one overall coaster. I rode in the "magic seat," 6-2, both times. I didn't feel and ounce of roughness and it's ridiculous to say it's rough in any way, unless it has gotten rougher in two months (which is almost impossible). I'll be sure to get multiple rides this weekend to experience it warmed up, but I don't expect anything other than it was, other than

 

Expect even more this time around. Compare these two videos. The first one is of a test run I filmed on opening day and the next one is how the ride runs normally when it isn't 40 degrees out. Just watch the difference in speed on the Rolling Thunder hill.

http://instagram.com/p/mtCa5vOvsH/?modal=true

[Password121]

as opposed to El Toro that would launch you to your death without even blinking an eye.

 

El Toro is the most appropriately named coaster I've ridden. And agreed about the turnaround being rough, but I havent noticed any other sections that are. If you ride it in the middle seat of the last car on either train the ride is smooth as butter.

I second this. I'll be at the park tomorrow night and Sunday to get some re-rides, but I rode twice in two of the first five trains in opening day in the morning, well before the ride had warmed up or reached any sort of "mid-season form." That being said, as it was for those two rides, it destroyed Intimidator 305 as my number one overall coaster. I rode in the "magic seat," 6-2, both times. I didn't feel and ounce of roughness and it's ridiculous to say it's rough in any way, unless it has gotten rougher in two months (which is almost impossible). I'll be sure to get multiple rides this weekend to experience it warmed up, but I don't expect anything other than it was, other than

 

Expect even more this time around. Compare these two videos. The first one is of a test run I filmed on opening day and the next one is how the ride runs normally when it isn't 40 degrees out. Just watch the difference in speed on the Rolling Thunder hill.

http://instagram.com/p/mtCa5vOvsH/?modal=true

Man that first video is the slowest I've very seen it run! The train is really sluggish and looks like it might rollback on the brakes. My rides on April 12 were much faster than that, but I doubt they were up to speed as I'm sure they are now in the afternoon. I've ridden it multiple times, but never at night, which is my plan Friday night.

[Rotura Violenta]

and it's ridiculous to say it's rough in any way

 

Ah, I was unaware! My apologies.

[Password121]

and it's ridiculous to say it's rough in any way

 

Ah, I was unaware! My apologies.

You don't need to apologize at all! I was basing that off my ride in what many say is the best seat for airtime and smoothness on one particular day, in one certain train. I have heard many people say El Toro is not the glass smooth steel-like monster it was in 2006, which is probably true- that was 8 years ago. I haven't ridden very many good wooden coasters, and El Toro is by far the best and smoothest wooden coaster I've ridden. If you experienced a little roughness on the turnaround, then thank you for letting me know and I'll look out for it next time I ride it.

[boldikus]

as opposed to El Toro that would launch you to your death without even blinking an eye.

 

El Toro is the most appropriately named coaster I've ridden. And agreed about the turnaround being rough, but I havent noticed any other sections that are. If you ride it in the middle seat of the last car on either train the ride is smooth as butter.

I second this. I'll be at the park tomorrow night and Sunday to get some re-rides, but I rode twice in two of the first five trains in opening day in the morning, well before the ride had warmed up or reached any sort of "mid-season form." That being said, as it was for those two rides, it destroyed Intimidator 305 as my number one overall coaster. I rode in the "magic seat," 6-2, both times. I didn't feel and ounce of roughness and it's ridiculous to say it's rough in any way, unless it has gotten rougher in two months (which is almost impossible). I'll be sure to get multiple rides this weekend to experience it warmed up, but I don't expect anything other than it was, other than

 

Expect even more this time around. Compare these two videos. The first one is of a test run I filmed on opening day and the next one is how the ride runs normally when it isn't 40 degrees out. Just watch the difference in speed on the Rolling Thunder hill.

http://instagram.com/p/mtCa5vOvsH/?modal=true

Man that first video is the slowest I've very seen it run! The train is really sluggish and looks like it might rollback on the brakes. My rides on April 12 were much faster than that, but I doubt they were up to speed as I'm sure they are now in the afternoon. I've ridden it multiple times, but never at night, which is my plan Friday night.

 

I love that freaking hill so much! Crazy how slow it goes over it on the first video there. As far as the speed difference between morning and later in the day, Id read that and never really noticed it until I was there earlier this month and rode it a few times right away after opening in the morning, then went back for a ride around 5pm and HOLY CRAP it felt SOOO much faster! Both rides were in the magic seat, but such a huge difference in speed and forces that much later in the day.

[El Toro_Ryan]

as opposed to El Toro that would launch you to your death without even blinking an eye.

 

El Toro is the most appropriately named coaster I've ridden. And agreed about the turnaround being rough, but I havent noticed any other sections that are. If you ride it in the middle seat of the last car on either train the ride is smooth as butter.

I second this. I'll be at the park tomorrow night and Sunday to get some re-rides, but I rode twice in two of the first five trains in opening day in the morning, well before the ride had warmed up or reached any sort of "mid-season form." That being said, as it was for those two rides, it destroyed Intimidator 305 as my number one overall coaster. I rode in the "magic seat," 6-2, both times. I didn't feel and ounce of roughness and it's ridiculous to say it's rough in any way, unless it has gotten rougher in two months (which is almost impossible). I'll be sure to get multiple rides this weekend to experience it warmed up, but I don't expect anything other than it was, other than

 

Expect even more this time around. Compare these two videos. The first one is of a test run I filmed on opening day and the next one is how the ride runs normally when it isn't 40 degrees out. Just watch the difference in speed on the Rolling Thunder hill.

http://instagram.com/p/mtCa5vOvsH/?modal=true

Man that first video is the slowest I've very seen it run! The train is really sluggish and looks like it might rollback on the brakes. My rides on April 12 were much faster than that, but I doubt they were up to speed as I'm sure they are now in the afternoon. I've ridden it multiple times, but never at night, which is my plan Friday night.

 

I love that freaking hill so much! Crazy how slow it goes over it on the first video there. As far as the speed difference between morning and later in the day, Id read that and never really noticed it until I was there earlier this month and rode it a few times right away after opening in the morning, then went back for a ride around 5pm and HOLY CRAP it felt SOOO much faster! Both rides were in the magic seat, but such a huge difference in speed and forces that much later in the day.

 

Oh yeah Toro is a ride that definitely warms up during the day. Morning test runs now are still as slow as that test run I posted just we don't need the test dummies for the train to make it around the track. During my training in March, I saw Toro run even slower than it was in that video and it was actually scary. It didn't make a fart noise at all on the rolling thunder hill and it only made the course thanks to some tire drives at the peak of the break run hill. (It vallied 2 runs later haha)

[GigaG]

El Toro is almost completely smooth except some shuffling in the bottom of the turnaround.

[thegreatkaldani]

Does anyone know how the Q line is for Zumanjaro? Will it be one solid line and then split off into the 8 seat sections? I just want to know because if my buddys come along we all want to ride together. Was hoping it would be optinal like scream machine(RIP) where you can pick the freedom or the justice!

 

And also does anyone have info if the drop will be synced up with Kingda Ka?

[coasterbill]

If you want a great ride on El Toro ride it one row from the back in the last car (6). Then it will deliver an OMFG amazing ride every time you ride it that's incredibly smooth.

 

I do wish they'd smooth out the valley before the turnaround though. That's the only part of the ride that's rough in the back rows of each car but it's incredibly jarring. In the row I mentioned the ride is butter smooth and OMFG intense.

[boldikus]

THIS^^^.

 

Personally I don't really even like to ride it in any other seat since I discovered this (which can be annoying when taking newbies on it since its so intense back there).

[pitstains1]

Aside from Toro, I have noticed that employees this year are pretty friendly...and faster. Could be just me, but the last few times I've visited the park, employees were more welcome to talk to guests as well as, for the most part, kept the rides running at a reasonable rate. Also, the Bizarro crew has also really turned itself around in a positive direction. I was so surprised when I went up there and they were rolling trains! Awesome work! Finally, I have noticed that a lot of the rides in the park are now implementing hashtags in their spiels. I think this is by far one of the coolest things ever and it is a great way to really involve the guests in the Great Adventure experience. My personal favorite hashtag is Bizarro's - #GetTwisted. Has anyone else noticed this? What are your thoughts?

[agerikson]

Hey El Toro_Ryan, my girlfriend and I will be at the park tomorrow and we were wondering if Kingda Ka will be operating this weekend?

[RideofSteel]

Back on track: Six Flags' stalled Zumanjaro plunge to open

By Amy Kuperinsky/The Star-Ledger

 

 

In just 30 seconds, passengers shoot 415 feet straight up, then pause to take in the bird’s-eye view.

 

But even winged creatures wouldn’t nest so far from the ground. At that elevation — 41 stories up — the riders dangling feet hang at least 100 feet higher than the tip of the Statue of Liberty.

 

But not for long. In 10 seconds, the eight-seat "gondola" slingshots back down to Earth at 90 miles an hour, three times faster than it went up.

 

The steep, whip-fast plunge — called Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom — is billed as the tallest and fastest drop ride in the world. An animation of the extreme course sets its lofty passengers among puffy clouds, as if they’ve climbed the Everest of amusements.

 

"At over 400 feet, no one can hear you scream," proclaim radio advertisements for the ride — which was supposed to open at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Memorial Day weekend. But on May 15, just two weeks before the planned debut, the park dashed hopes of thrill-seekers planning to conquer the drop. Six Flags announced it would be postponing the opening of Zumanjaro. More than a month after the planned opening, the ride will finally open to the public on July 4, Six Flags announced yesterday.

 

The amusement park attributes the delay to weather conditions that it says impeded construction. All spring, crews worked on the Zumanjaro tower. Its three tracks are built on the face of another amusement — Kingda Ka, which set its own record in 2005 as the globe’s tallest roller coaster (and was temporarily shut down in 2009 after being struck by lightning). Because of the construction, that ride has also been closed for months. A sign saying as much still greets visitors at the closed entrance.

 

 

New thrill ride at Six Flags Great Adventure

Six Flags Great Adventure will introduce Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom, a brand new drop ride. It will be the tallest drop tower in the world, lifting riders up 415 feet in the air and rocketing back down at 90 miles per hour. The three towers will share the same structure of the record-breaking Kingda Ka coaster and will spell the end of an era for one of the park's classic roller coasters, Rolling Thunder. This video shows some of the promotional animation video as well as footage of the construction of Zumanjaro. "We endured one of the harshest winters in history, followed by a very windy spring," said Kristin Siebeneicher, spokeswoman for the park. "Snow, rain and extreme winds delayed work, particularly on the tower. The construction team was working with a nearly 500-foot crane that had a wind speed limit of 35 miles per hour at the boom level. If winds were above 35 miles per hour at that extreme height, it was too dangerous to work, as the crane could have tipped over."

She said wind conditions ultimately resulted in the loss of three weeks of construction, which included welding. "There was an incredible amount of welding work from the additional support structure added to Kingda Ka, to the new steel structure of Zumanjaro," Siebeneicher said. "Wind can blow out gas welders."

 

In order for Zumanjaro to open, Kingda Ka — in Six Flags parlance, the name is supposed to mean "king of coasters," while Zumanjaro is inspired by the African flavor of its revamped Safari Off Road Adventure — had to be reworked, too, so the rides could run simultaneously. (If the great heights weren’t enough of a fear factor, riders are also supposed to hear the rumbling of the roller coaster overhead.)

 

Engineers and inspectors have been at it for a while, Siebeneicher said, a group incorporating Six Flags’ own staff, a third-party company, insurance inspectors and the state, whose engineers and inspectors examine the structure and test it before a permit is given to the park to operate the ride.

 

 

Billed as both the fastest and tallest drop ride in the world, Zumanjaro is being used in promotional material in and outside the park. The public opening will be July 4, more than a month after its planned debut.

Amy Kuperinsky/The Star-Ledger

 

First peek

 

It’s rare for Six Flags to open a new ride when summer is in full swing. "We prefer to have our new theme park attractions open by Memorial Day weekend," she said.

 

Members of the media will get the first tour of Zumanjaro on Wednesday and season pass holders are invited to the big drop Thursday. Yet the state Department of Community Affairs, whose Bureau of Code Services inspects rides, said the process to grant the ride a permit was still underway yesterday.

 

"The DCA is currently reviewing information submitted by Six Flags in support of the application," said Tammori Petty, director of communications for the department. "The DCA does not perform inspections until after the ride is erected and the design information is reviewed."

 

 

Setbacks

 

Keyport’s Shamrock Construction worked on the ride. Owner John Drum said his employees recently finished their tenure at Zumanjaro.

 

"I know there’s a lot of landscaping that had to be done," he said, offering potential reasons why the attraction still hadn’t opened, but added that safety protocols can add time to the process. He says crews did encounter wind delays during construction.

 

"When you got a crane that high, the wind is so strong you constantly get shut down from it," he said. "Whenever you get a windy day, anytime it’s 12 miles per hour on the ground, it’s 40 miles per hour (up) in the air."

 

We prefer to have our new theme park attractions open by Memorial Day weekend.

Walter Reiss, an amusement ride inspector based in Bethlehem, Pa., has worked with roller coasters and other rides since 1986.

 

"Jersey is just the worst in the country," he said of the inspection and testing process — worst from the point of view of the ride operator, that is. "They’ve made it so over the top that it makes it really difficult to operate. Some of the requirements are just off the wall."

 

While stringent rules may hold up an opening, he said he could also see snow, ice and wind preventing a project from being completed on time.

 

 

A sign outside the Kingda Ka roller coaster informed visitors to Six Flags Great Adventure that the ride was still closed because Zumanjaro was not finished. The drop ride, built on the face of Kingda Ka, was slated to open Memorial Day weekend.

 

"That is a really, really big crane," he said of the equipment needed to build Zumanjaro’s several-hundred-foot climb. "In all honesty, it wouldn’t surprise me if you found this sort of delay all over the Northeast."

 

While Siebeneicher says Kingda Ka has recently been open on weekends and select weeknights when staff hasn’t been working on Zumanjaro, the ride remained shuttered Tuesday afternoon.

 

Wayne Shipe, 49, made the trip to Six Flags Tuesday from Union with his son Zach, who was home from college in Connecticut. They were told that Kingda Ka would be open at 3 p.m., but were turned away from the ride by a staffer that same hour. "It’s the only reason I came here," said Zach, 21, who dejectedly headed over to the Superman roller coaster instead. Shipe summed up his reaction in a word: "Disappointed."

 

 

More disappointment

 

Anthony Blasucci, 23, visited From East Islip, N.Y. with a friend.

 

"I thought it was open, that’s why we came," he said. If Zumanjaro was ready, he said, he would have headed straight for the ride’s entrance gate. He could just imagine the drop, he said: "It’s like, my gut’s coming out of my throat." (In his book, that’s a good thing.)

 

Blasucci said he’d probably return to Six Flags, but not anytime soon. Melissa Menjivar, 24, of Roselle Park wasn’t sure she would ever conquer Zumanjaro, but had persuaded herself to muster up the courage for Kingda Ka. When told the ride was closed, she wasn’t the happiest of campers.

 

"It kind of bothers me," she said. "It’s kind of dumb."

 

Source: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/06/zumanjaro_six_flags_to_open_july_4.html

[neil009]

Six Flags: Kind of dumb.

[jetsplumber]

Aside from Toro, I have noticed that employees this year are pretty friendly...and faster. Could be just me, but the last few times I've visited the park, employees were more welcome to talk to guests as well as, for the most part, kept the rides running at a reasonable rate. Also, the Bizarro crew has also really turned itself around in a positive direction. I was so surprised when I went up there and they were rolling trains! Awesome work! Finally, I have noticed that a lot of the rides in the park are now implementing hashtags in their spiels. I think this is by far one of the coolest things ever and it is a great way to really involve the guests in the Great Adventure experience. My personal favorite hashtag is Bizarro's - #GetTwisted. Has anyone else noticed this? What are your thoughts?

 

I don't mind it if you can understand them. some, you have no clue what they are saying during the spiel, its just annoying. and how many times do I really need to hear about some 12 yr old standing on the hand rail. who gives a crap. if he wants to fall on his ass or head, so be it. they dont need to announce that every 2 seconds. some just want to show what kind of powet they have, just like a crappy cop.

[larrygator]

I don't mind it if you can understand them. some, you have no clue what they are saying during the spiel, its just annoying. and how many times do I really need to hear about some 12 yr old standing on the hand rail. who gives a crap. if he wants to fall on his A$$ or head, so be it. they dont need to announce that every 2 seconds. some just want to show what kind of powet they have, just like a crappy cop.

 

So you would rather have prices increase at SFGAdv after rounds of litigation because the park makes no attempt to prevent accidents? Many of the comments you make in this thread are ignorant.

[jetsplumber]

I don't mind it if you can understand them. some, you have no clue what they are saying during the spiel, its just annoying. and how many times do I really need to hear about some 12 yr old standing on the hand rail. who gives a crap. if he wants to fall on his A$$ or head, so be it. they dont need to announce that every 2 seconds. some just want to show what kind of powet they have, just like a crappy cop.

 

So you would rather have prices increase at SFGAdv after rounds of litigation because the park makes no attempt to prevent accidents? Many of the comments you make in this thread are ignorant.

 

that's the problem with this country. everybody is lookin for the free handout for there stupidity. when the guest doesn't get off the handrail after the 3rd announcement, hes not getting off after the 10th. they dodnt have to keep announcing it.