Park Journey
Menu

Six Flags

Construction Reaches Dizzying Heights on World’s Tallest Drop Ride

3/28/2014

 
Picture
Towers on Six Flags Great Adventure’s Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom Nearly Complete, Final Piece Expected Monday


Picture
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.
Picture
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.
Picture
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.
Picture


If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter. 

If you have any comments, please share them below. 

Batman Backwards Media Day report from Six Flags Magic Mountain

3/21/2014

 
Picture
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. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
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
Picture
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.
Picture
“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."
Picture
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.
Picture
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.
Picture
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.
Picture
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.
Picture

In addition to Batman: The Ride Backwards, Colossus Backwards also opens tomorrow for a limited engagement. (The Pictures Below are from Fright Fest 2013)
Picture
Picture

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. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
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!!! 


If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter. 

If you have any comments, please share them below. 

Dusting off the snow and getting ready for Spring at Six Flags Great Adventure

3/18/2014

 
Picture
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.

Picture
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.
Picture
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.”

Picture
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.”

Picture
“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.

Picture
Six Flags Landscaping By-the-Numbers

  • 14,000 spring pansies
  • 33,000 summer flowers
  • 3,000 New Guinea impatiens
  • 550 oversized flower baskets
  • 40 giant ornamental pots
  • 14 topiaries
  • 12 wreaths
  • 70 palm trees
  • 300 tropical flora
  • 40 landscaping team members



If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter. 

If you have any comments, please share them below. 
<<Previous

    Categories

    All
    2014 Attractions
    2015 Attractions
    2016 Attractions
    2017 Attractions
    2018 Attractions
    2019 Attractions
    2020 Attractions
    2021 Attractions
    2022 Attractions
    2024 Attractions
    Apocalypse
    Batman The Ride
    Battle For Metropolis
    Bugs Bunny World
    Colossus
    CraZanity
    DC Universe
    Dr. Diabolical's CliffHanger
    Drop Of Doom
    Festival Del Terror
    Fright Fest
    Goliath
    Great Escape
    Holiday In The Park
    Jersey Devil
    July 4th Fest
    Justice League
    La Ronde
    Maxx Force
    Mountain Madness
    Revolution
    Samsung VR
    Scream Break
    Six Flags
    Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
    Six Flags Fiesta Texas
    Six Flags Great Adventure
    Six Flags Great America
    Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
    Six Flags Magic Mountain
    Six Flags Mexico
    Six Flags New England
    Six Flags Over Georgia
    Six Flags Over Texas
    Six Flags St Louis
    Six Flags Whitewater
    The Joker
    The New Revolution
    Total Mayhem
    Twisted Colossus
    Ultra Surf
    VR Coasters
    West Coast Racers
    Wonder Woman Flight Of Courage

    Archives

    August 2023
    May 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Six Flags
  • Universal Studios
  • Disney Parks
  • Cedar Fair
  • SeaWorld Parks
  • Other Parks
  • Beyond The Parks
  • The Other Side of the Tracks
  • Industry News
  • Cruise Journey
  • Theme Park Art
  • Past Updates
    • 2021 Updates
    • 2020 Updates
    • 2019 Updates
    • 2018 Updates
    • 2017 Updates
    • 2016 Updates
    • 2015 Updates
    • 2013 and 2014 Updates
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Six Flags
  • Universal Studios
  • Disney Parks
  • Cedar Fair
  • SeaWorld Parks
  • Other Parks
  • Beyond The Parks
  • The Other Side of the Tracks
  • Industry News
  • Cruise Journey
  • Theme Park Art
  • Past Updates
    • 2021 Updates
    • 2020 Updates
    • 2019 Updates
    • 2018 Updates
    • 2017 Updates
    • 2016 Updates
    • 2015 Updates
    • 2013 and 2014 Updates
  • Contact Us