New Additions Represent Largest Expansion in Park’s 30-Year History
JACKSON, N.J. – Six Flags Great Adventure will launch the tallest and fastest roller coaster on earth, the keystone of a new, mythical jungle kingdom, which will also feature an elaborate children's area and massive tiger exhibit for the 2005 season.
"The announcement today represents the largest expansion in the 30-year history of Six Flags Great Adventure," Kieran Burke, Six Flags, Inc. CEO, explained. "Six Flags Great Adventure is already the world's largest regional theme park, and this record-breaking new capital marks the first step in transforming this park into a true family destination."
The new roller coaster will shatter all existing world records for speed and height by legendary proportions. Truly the "King of Coasters," Kingda Ka will rocket riders horizontally from 0 to 128 mph in 3.5 seconds before vertically catapulting them a mind-blowing 456 feet (45 stories) into the sky at a 90-degree angle. After a brief moment in the clouds, riders descend 418 feet (41 stories) back down to earth in a 270-degree spiral, only to experience another breathtaking moment of weightlessness as they soar over a 129-foot-tall hill (nearly 13 stories) and then glide back into the station.
"The addition of Kingda Ka, the tallest and fastest roller coaster on earth, brings our already spectacular coaster arsenal up to 14," said Six Flags Great Adventure's vice president and general manager, Rick McCurley. "There is no doubt that this will be the top stop for thrill seekers worldwide."
Kingda Ka will be the cornerstone of a new 11-acre, mythical jungle domain called The Golden Kingdom. The Golden Kingdom will also feature Balin's Jungle Land, an elaborate, new children's area; Temple of the Tiger, a massive, new educational tiger exhibit; plus three new shops and four new eateries.
With one of the largest play structures of its kind in the world, Balin's Jungle Land will rank as the most eye-popping, must-do addition for children. The new themed section will feature five themed rides that enable kids to soar, twist, swing and cruise. The giant new play structure will include five interactive, multileveled structures towering nearly three stories. The three dry structures and two wet structures will offer 30 different platform levels with cargo nets, bridges and slides, spray guns, tipping buckets and a "jumping" fountain where kids can splash and play.
In The Golden Kingdom, park guests can enjoy a fascinating encounter with awesome Bengal tigers. The more than 33,000 square-foot Temple of the Tiger exhibit, one of only three exhibits of its kind worldwide, will feature massive Bengal tigers, Balin, Faruk, Hara and Chandi, displaying natural animal behaviors – jumping, wrestling, pouncing and playing. Highly skilled, hands-on trainers will interact with both the audience and the young adult tigers, sharing interesting facts and even swimming with the breathtaking cats.
Temple of the Tiger will also feature extremely rare "golden" tiger cubs, named for their white coat and remarkable gold stripes.
Between programs, trainers will interact with the Bengal tigers in their specially designed habitat. The state-of-the-art, 1,000-seat venue will be specifically designed for these new animals.
Throughout The Golden Kingdom, guests can also encounter a variety of exotic animals and their handlers. Visitors will find cockatoos and macaws, coati mundi, porcupine, a rainbow boa constrictor, albino python, kinkajou and capuchin monkey.
"The Golden Kingdom will offer something for everyone, from the littlest guests to the ultimate thrill seekers," McCurley concluded. "This exotic kingdom is just the kind of superlative offering our guests have come to expect from Six Flags Great Adventure."
Kingda Ka and the entire Golden Kingdom are slated for a spring 2005 opening.
Six Flags Great Adventure theme park, Six Flags Wild Safari animal park, and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor water park are located in Jackson, N.J. The parks comprise America's largest regional family entertainment complex. The combined 2,200-acre facility, located midway between Philadelphia and New York City, is part of Six Flags, Inc.
Six Flags, Inc. is the world's largest regional theme park company. Through its subsidiaries, it owns and operates a total of 31 parks in North America and Europe. Six Flags parks serve 34 of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. Six Flags, Inc. is a publicly held corporation with corporate offices in New York City and Oklahoma City. The Company's stock trades on the NYSE under the symbol: PKS.