Six Flags Great Adventure
will launch the tallest, fastest roller coaster on earth and new
jungle domain with tiger exhibit for 2005
New Additions Represent Largest Expansion
in Park’s 30-Year History
JACKSON, NJ -- (INTERNET WIRE) -- 09/29/2004 --
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.