 Towers on Six Flags Great Adventure’s Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom Nearly Complete, Final Piece Expected Monday  JACKSON, NJ – March 28, 2014 – Only four pieces of track remain on the ground today, the final orange components to Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom, the world’s tallest drop ride, opening at Six Flags Great Adventure this Memorial Day weekend. The center of three towers was completed March 27 at 41 dizzying stories, and the final track piece of the right tower, considered the “topping off,” is expected to be set Monday morning, wind and weather permitting. “Wind is certainly a factor at 415 feet,” said Mike Fatovic, construction supervisor at Six Flags Great Adventure. “It can seem very calm on the ground, and sometimes it is a very different story at the top of the tower.” Due to today’s high winds, no track pieces will be set; however electrical work continues at the construction site.  Following the topping off, the construction, maintenance and engineering teams will focus on adding three gondolas that will whisk riders to the top of the tower, installing the lift mechanism—a winch and cable system--and ride controls, followed by extensive ride testing, inspections and certification before the first passengers board the ride later this spring.  Connected to the iconic Kingda Ka roller coaster—the 456-foot monster that ranks as the world’s tallest coaster and fastest in North America—Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom will hoist riders 41 stories into the sky and rocket them back to Earth at 90 miles per hour while Kingda Ka trains launch right toward them at speeds of up to 128 miles per hour. Riders will pause for a few terrifying moments 41 stories in the air—even higher than London’s Big Ben and twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty—allowing them to catch a glimpse of the skyscrapers in Philadelphia 52 miles to the south before gravity plunges them back to ground level in less than 10 seconds.   We were invited out to Six Flags Magic Mountain on Friday March 21st for a small media event promoting Batman Backwards (or namtaB). We were able to get some reverse POV footage of us making fools of ourselves and we've also compiled some screen shots from the POV and B-roll below. In addition, the new Jelly Belly store is opening so we'll re-share those pictures of the store from our last update. Before we get to the pictures, here is our video. It includes our Reverse POV and some great B-Roll provided by the park. Please share!!!! Below are some of the more hilarious screen captures from the video above.    Below is the full press release along with some other cool captures of the B-Roll footage provided by the park. BATMAN™ The Ride Backwards Opens for a Spring Exclusive at Six Flags Magic Mountain  VALENCIA, Calif. — March 21, 2014 — Go Big. Go Backwards! For a limited time only, Six Flags Magic Mountain’s popular suspended looping coaster, BATMAN™ The Ride, is more intense than ever as riders dare to take on an all new experience – going backwards! As the roller coaster climbs the 10-story lift hill, riders will take in the full scope of BATMAN™ The Ride's track as they anticipate the adventure that lies ahead. The train will reach speeds of 50 mph and travel through 2,700 feet of track, all while maneuvering hairpin turns, vertical loops, corkscrews and a zero-g roll … all while going backwards! The excitement is magnified since guests cannot see the twists and turns that await them.  “In honor of BATMAN™ The Ride’s 20th anniversary, we’re offering our guests an entirely different ride experience by going backwards. No matter how many times you have been on BATMAN™ The Ride, nothing compares to the thrill of racing down 10 stories facing the other direction," said Bonnie Rabjohn, Six Flags Magic Mountain park president. "You have no idea what is coming next. This is a tremendous new experience and one guests should take advantage of quickly since it will only be available during the spring."  Celebrating its 20th anniversary on March 26, BATMAN™ The Ride has given close to 32 million thrilling rides and reigns as one of the most popular roller coasters in the world. BATMAN™ The Ride backwards opens to the public on Saturday, March 22.  Also going backwards this spring, trains on the iconic “woodie” Colossus, hit the tracks in reverse. Covering 10 acres of land, with tracks measuring nearly a mile long at 4,325 feet, this classic wooden coaster features drops of more than 100 feet and a total of 14 hills including a climactic triple jump towards the end … backwards! Colossus celebrated its 35th anniversary in June, 2013.  Six Flags Magic Mountain 2014 Season Passes provide unlimited visits for the entire 2014 season and can be purchased online for a low monthly payment through the annual membership program. For a limited time, with the purchase of four or more Season Passes, guests will receive a free upgrade to Combo Season Passes which include with every pass, a free Hurricane Harbor Season Pass. Additional Season Pass perks include free tickets for friends and more. Offer expires April 27, 2014. Season Passes can be purchased at the main gate ticket booths or online.  Six Flags Magic Mountain is located at 26101 Magic Mountain Parkway, in Valencia, north of Los Angeles off Interstate 5 at the Magic Mountain Parkway exit. The park opens for daily operation on March 22. For complete operating days and hours, and for more information call (661) 255-4111 or visit us online at www.sixflags.com/magicmountain.  In addition to Batman: The Ride Backwards, Colossus Backwards also opens tomorrow for a limited engagement. (The Pictures Below are from Fright Fest 2013)   Lastly, the Jelly Belly store we reported on last week is also opening tomorrow. Below are the pictures of how the store looked last week. We'll be back up at the park soon to take a tour of the new store.    That's all for this update. Hope you enjoyed this look at Batman: The Ride Backwards. Do yourself a favor and get up to Six Flags Magic Mountain and ride it. It's a unique experience for sure!!!  Move Over, Winter…Here Comes the Bloom Six Flags Great Adventure’s Landscaping Department Prepares for Spectacular Spring and Summer Displays * All pictures courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure JACKSON, NJ – Despite the gloomy, grey skies and frigid temperatures, spring has already sprung in the greenhouses at Six Flags Great Adventure. The landscaping department is hard at work preparing for a vibrant display to celebrate the park’s April 12 opening and have already planted the seeds for a spectacular summer. Cool spring temperatures are a challenge for delicate flowers, so the landscaping department will plant 14,000 colorful and winter-resistant pansies throughout the park for its spring opening. Despite this massive undertaking, the team of 22 workers plus manager Bill Hettman already have their sights set on summer.  For the park’s summer display, the landscape team will plant 33,000 flowers including begonia, salvia, dusty miller, coleus, vinca, pentas and 3,000 multi-colored New Guinea impatiens. They will hang 550 massive begonia, petunia and geranium baskets (250 of which are created and grown in-house), and place 40 giant, ornamental pots they have arranged using elephant ears, canna lilies and hibiscus throughout the park. Floral wreaths meticulously created by hand will adorn buildings along Main Street and the fences in Fantasy Forest. The landscaping department will complete their designs with 14 signature topiaries they have grown, ranging from notable cartoon characters to oversized animals, like elephants, swans, rhinos and flamingoes. Much of this work is underway or already completed in the park’s three greenhouses.  At Hurricane Harbor, the landscaping department will bring the park’s tropical theme to life with the addition of 70 palm trees, 300 tropical flora, plus an array of ti plants and Chinese fan palms. Everything will be planted by the water park’s opening day, May 24. “All winter, we have been hard at work plowing snow and spreading sand and salt to manage the ice. We have miles and miles of roadway and sidewalks that our employees use to get to their workplaces and our animals even when the parks are closed,” Hettman said. “But that is behind us now, and we are focused on delivering our most incredible summer display in history.”  During the peak season, the landscape team swells to 40 members who manage everything from spring cleanup to overnight watering, aquatic maintenance of the park’s water fountains and pools, and beautifying the park’s iconic attractions, such as Safari Off Road Adventure, which opened last year, and Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom, debuting this spring. “We have exciting plans for Safari Off Road Adventure’s loading station this year, and we will be one of the finishing touches to the new Zumanjaro area before it opens to the public later this spring,” Hettman said. Working in the landscaping department is physically strenuous work, but rewarding, he noted. “The experience on our team ranges from newcomers to 40 years,” said Hettman, who has 33 years of Six Flags landscape experience under his belt. “We have a very high rehire rate and loyalty among our team. They are a great group of people who love what they do, and it shows.”  “Every year, Bill and his team create spectacular landscaping displays that have become attractions in themselves,” said Park President John Fitzgerald. “The landscaping team works very hard to enhance the natural beauty of our parks.” Six Flags Great Adventure and Safari opens for the 2014 season April 12. For more information, visit www.sixflags.com/greatadventure.  Six Flags Landscaping By-the-Numbers
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