Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom explained

Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom
Location:Six Flags Great Adventure
Section:Golden Kingdom
Status:Operating
Previousattraction:Rolling Thunder
Type:Drop tower
Manufacturer:Intamin
Height Ft:415
Speed Mph:90
Riders Per Vehicle:8
Restriction In:48-77
Virtual Queue Name:Flash Pass
Virtual Queue Image:Fastpass availability icon.svg
Virtual Queue Status:available
Single Rider:available
Vehicles:3

Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom is an amusement ride located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. The 415feet attraction is attached to the Kingda Ka roller coaster and opened as the tallest drop tower ride in the world in 2014.[1]

History

On May 21, 2005, Kingda Ka opened to the public and became the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world at that time, overtaking both world records from Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point.[2] [3]

Rumors that Six Flags Great Adventure would be adding a drop tower attached to Kingda Ka, similar to at Six Flags Magic Mountain, emerged in February 2012. In August, theme park enthusiast website Screamscape mentioned that Rolling Thunder may be removed at the end of the 2013 season.[4]

On August 29, 2013, Six Flag's chairman, president, and CEO, Jim Reid-Anderson, officially announced Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom for the 2014 season, which would be attached to Kingda Ka, along with the other new rides to be built at other Six Flags parks.[5] In the press release, it was confirmed that Rolling Thunder would close on September 8, 2013, and be demolished. The new ride is inspired by the park's 2013 addition, Safari Off Road Adventure.[6] The area adjacent to the Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom would be a new habitat for African baboons, which will replace the 2011 addition, Safari Discoveries.

On April 1, 2014, the final track piece for the drop tower ride was erected into place by park construction crews.[7] The ride opened to the public on July 4, 2014.[8]

Opening

Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom was first slated to open originally during the Memorial Day Weekend of 2014. Two weeks before opening the new attraction along with the reopening of Kingda Ka, Six Flags Great Adventure delayed its opening due to the weather during the construction of the ride with its extreme heights.[9] Despite the delayed opening in late May, Kingda Ka reopened only during the weekends of the summer until the opening of the drop tower. On June 26, 2014, Six Flags Great Adventure announced the opening of the new attraction for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.[10] Hours before the soft-opening of Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom on July 2, 2014, the theme park delayed the opening of the drop tower again for the second time. Six Flags Great Adventure stated that the state of New Jersey had not granted the park the operating permit to open the new drop tower.[11] [12] However, two days after the second delayed opening, the park opened the ride to the public on July 4, 2014.[13]

VR

In 2017, virtual reality headsets were added as an optional feature on the ride, which were Samsung Gear VR headsets powered by Oculus. Riders wearing the headsets would experience a 360-degree, 3D simulation of being in a futuristic helicopter that was fending off an attack by mutant spiders.[14]

Ride experience

Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom consists of three free-fall drop attractions, each mounted to a lateral flank of the Kingda Ka structure. Each of the three towers features a single floorless gondola seating eight abreast. Before riding, riders wait in a line queue along a new African baboon habitat. Upon boarding, riders are secured by over-the-shoulder restraints. Catch cars hoist the gondolas up the tower to a height of . The gondolas are then released into a free-fall descent, attaining a maximum velocity of 90mph over the course of six seconds. On clear days, riders are able to see Philadelphia, which is away from the park, according to a Six Flags spokeswoman.[15]

Statistics

Records

Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom holds the record for the tallest and fastest drop tower ride in the world, taking the record from at Six Flags Magic Mountain on July 4, 2014.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: New for 2014 . Six Flags . August 29, 2013 . August 29, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130901054320/http://content.sixflags.com/comingin2014/ . September 1, 2013 . dead .
  2. Kingda Ka . Six Flags Great Adventure . 2832 . September 1, 2013.
  3. Six Flags Great Adventure will launch the tallest, fastest roller coaster on earth and new jungle domain with tiger exhibit for 2005 . September 1, 2013 . http://rcdb.com/2832.htm?dt=126&d=132.
  4. Web site: Six Flags Great Adventure . Screamscape . September 1, 2013 . https://archive.today/20130901164049/http://www.screamscape.com/html/six_flags_great_adventure.htm . September 1, 2013 . live .
  5. News: Oglesby . Amanda . New Six Flags ride 'Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom' to feature 90-mph drop . September 1, 2013 . Detroit Free Press . August 29, 2013 . https://archive.today/20130901165850/http://www.freep.com/article/20130830/FEATURES07/308300032/Zumanjaro-Drop-of-Doom-Six-Flags-roller-coaster . September 1, 2013 . live .
  6. Web site: Six Flags Great Adventure Announces World Record-Breaking Ride for 2014 . Six Flags Great Adventure . August 29, 2013 . September 1, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130901060757/http://www.sixflags.com/greatadventure/info/news_NJ2014NewCap.aspx . September 1, 2013 . live .
  7. Web site: Mirgoli . Nicholus . Final Track Piece of Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom Completed on the World's Tallest Drop Tower at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ . ThemeParkOverload.net . April 13, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140415075319/http://www.themeparkoverload.net/2014/04/FinalTrackPieceCompletedConstructionZumanjaroDropOfDoomDropTowerSixFlagsGreatAdventure.html . April 15, 2014 . live .
  8. Web site: Great Adventure's 'Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom' ride opens after numerous delays . The Star-Ledger . July 4, 2014 . August 20, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714184826/http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/07/great_adventures_zumanjaro_drop_of_doom_ride_opens_after_numerous_delays.html . July 14, 2014 . live .
  9. Web site: Dowling . Matt . New 41-story 'Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom' ride opening at Six Flags Great Adventure is delayed . The Star-Ledger . May 15, 2014 . July 3, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140518014712/http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2014/05/zumanjaro_drop_of_doom_ride_opening_at_six_flags_great_adventure_delayed_by_weather.html . May 18, 2014 . live .
  10. Web site: Kuperinsky . Amy . Back on track: Six Flags' stalled Zumanjaro plunge to open . The Star-Ledger . June 27, 2014 . July 3, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140701040807/http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/06/zumanjaro_six_flags_to_open_july_4.html . July 1, 2014 . live .
  11. Web site: State Officials Reviewing Six Flags Great Adventure's 'Drop Of Doom' . New York CBS Local . July 2, 2014 . July 3, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140706212253/http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/07/02/six-flags-great-adventure-set-to-open-worlds-tallest-drop-ride-drop-of-doom/ . July 6, 2014 . live .
  12. Web site: Important Zumanjaro Update: There Will Be No Zumanjaro Today . philebrity.com . July 2, 2014 . July 3, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140729043308/http://www.philebrity.com/2014/07/02/important-zumanjaro-update-there-will-be-no-zumanjaro-today/ . July 29, 2014 . live .
  13. Web site: Great Adventure's 'Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom' ride opens after numerous delays . The Star-Ledger . July 4, 2014 . July 4, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140708235858/http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2014/07/great_adventures_zumanjaro_drop_of_doom_ride_opens_after_numerous_delays.html . July 8, 2014 . live .
  14. Web site: Six Flags Great Adventure unveils virtual reality drop ride 'Drop of Doom'.
  15. News: Oglseby . Amanda . New Six Flags ride to feature 90-mph drop . May 4, 2023 . Asbury Park Press . August 29, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211125000038/https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2013/08/29/new-six-flags-ride-to-feature-90-mph-drop/2735979/ . November 25, 2021 . live.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom".

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