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SF Gadv's Zumanjaro now has an opening date


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"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.

Good news coming out of Great 'Advencha'.

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

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Did they close Rolling Thunder for any reason besides them seemingly not wanting wooden coasters anymore?

Yes.

Terp, who:

* Carefully read your post in its entirety.

* Promises that is not just a snarky reply.

* Has said all he has said or ever will say about that situation, here or elsewhere, once this post is concluded.

* Knows plans can and do change, as do managements.

* Has seen Great Advencha plans change more and more quickly based on managements than any other North American park's, with the possible exception of Kings Island.

* Is amazed what Six Flags corporate can get accomplished in short order when it really wants to (suffice it to say that Big Droppy Thing opening yesterday was at least a moderate miracle).

* Is hopeful that current Six Flags management realizes that its most overlooked potential moneymaker is in New Jersey, with Illinois a very close second.

* is astonished there are times he really misses Mr Dan Snyder (but ONLY as to Six Flags, NOT The Washington Football Organization) and Mr. Mark Shapiro (at both Flags AND Disney) in certain aspects. Oh well, learn on oh Mr. James Reid-Anderson. (And contemplate why Mr. Al Weber, Jr., once Chairman and CEO of Paramount Parks, GM of Kings Island, etc., 'retired.') For everything there is at least one pertinent reason.

* Notes in passing there are a lot of things in this tag line set that are not diversions, that 99.9 percent of readers will either miss, quickly dismiss, or read over.

* Wonders if LoraX & Co. resorted to staying in the hotel in the parking lot.

* Wishes that he wasn't tied to the District this of all weekends, but knows he does what he does because he must (and should).

* And, finally is glad that he's alive to see all this, and wishes the incomparable Steve Urbanowicz, who loved Great Adventure with all his heart, could experience all this, and what is to come.

Expect more, expect, and make today, a GREAT Adventure. Go big!

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man this seems like a great idea, similar to the Superman/Luther ride at Magic Mountain. But if they both cant operate at the same time...

Have I missed this in previous discussions, why is Jersey so hard to operate an amusement park in? Why would anyone want to open one in that state?

Similar reasons a ride may have left a CaliFUNia park to relocate to another place, perhaps?

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From a few things I'm reading, its not that they can't operate together from an engineering standpoint, but rather, New Jersey won't let them.

You'd think NJFTP would have put a little bit of forethought into that and actually build a separate tower. I'm surprised that rides like Kindga Ka and Nitro even exist in New Jersey.

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According to Screamscape, the issue is due to potential loose articles.

Lance says that Ka runs two trains. Once both are safely back at the station, then Zumanjaro loads its three carriages. Yep, the Drop Tower can't even load until Ka clears the brake run. The fear, apparently, is that items shaken loose during Kingda Ka's launch might inexplicably race forward and fly into those boarding Zumanjaro. Equally risky, apparently, the roof over each of Zumanjaro's gondola's was deemed inadequate protection from any items that might fall directly overhead from Ka's hill. Once Zumanjaro lands and riders exit the ride area, Kingda Ka is cleared to launch two more trains while Zumanjaro sits, empty.

So it's not necessarily sharing a tower that's a problem. It's the Drop Tower facing the launch track and being in the potential crash zone of any items that might fly from rider's pockets during Kingda Ka's launch.

As it is, I think they'd be better off closing Kingda Ka until this is sorted out. Right now it can't be meeting even 25% of its potential hourly capacity, so both it and Drop of Doom are going to have really long lines that are gonna make a lot of people really angry. At this point, folks are used to Kingda Ka being closed (it has been all season already) so what's the difference?

Apparently it's not a temporary protocol, either. Screamscape says that the state has gone so far as to demand that the two rides' operational systems be linked together so that one is physically locked down while the other operates. The only solution might be very tall walls and very wide roofs / netting on the Drop Tower?

Lance does point out something that's painfully obvious though - rides have gone over and under each other forever. A few feet away, Rolling Thunder and El Toro intertwined for many years. No one ever shut one down for fear that a flying shoe from the other could hurt someone. This is a little absurd. Granted, there's no precedent. Even Magic Mountain's Superman / Drop of Doom combo at least had the two rides on opposite sides of a tower facing away from each other. Admittedly, this is different. But is it worth all this?

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I was there with LoraX on Friday and it was running. However, I did not ride. I HATE drop rides.

I did not ride Kingda Ka either. I'm starting to regret that decision now. El Toro was by far my most favorite coaster there.

Honorable mention, Nitro and Bizarro. Got the old walk of shame on Batman. Sucks being 6 foot tall sometimes.

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I haven't been on either. Just the sheer size of Ka intimidated me, plus it was dark. I wanted my first ride to be during the daylight.

My first and only trip up to Cedar Point...Dragster was closed. I will be riding Dragster when I return hopefully sooner rather than later.

Six Flags Great Adventure and Kings Dominion were my two favorite parks on the trip. El Toro (especially Row 1 and the INSANE ejector air) and Intimidator 305 blew me away. I will be back and I will be sure to get me a ride on Kingda Ka. LoraX loved Ka!

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