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SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE
& Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
Jackson, New Jersey
Six Flags Theme Parks
 Park News - (12/31/2024) If you haven’t spotted it on social media yet, new demolition permits for Kingda Ka have been filed that now clearly indicate that the roller coaster will come to an end in a rather spectacular fashion. According to the documents, the demolition process will be done via a “Controlled Implosion”, which will cost an estimated $1.764 million. Work to prepare the structure for the implosion will begin now, with the implosion itself slated to take place sometime between Feb. 11 and Feb. 16, 2025.
(12/22/2024) Now I know we’ve all seen copies of posts people have received from Six Flags Great Adventure about the demolition of Kingda Ka. This was back when people still had hope that Kingda Ka might undergo some kind of modification to reopen as something new and improved, not unlike Cedar Point did with their attempt to transform Top Thrill Dragster into Top Thrill 2. Then there was how they omitted any mention of Zumanjaro from the initial press statements regarding the ride closures, so some felt maybe some of the Top Hat might be kept in order to keep Zumanjaro.
It didn’t take long for reps from Six Flags Great Adventure to shut down those rumors and confirm that neither Kingda Ka or Zumanjaro would be left standing. Since then the park has gone on to file demolition permits for the other attractions, with crews on sit cutting and tearing and dropping steel left and right on the other departing attractions, until finally this week the permits to remove KA and ZU were filed.
Now comes the weird part, as Theme Park Insider reports that while the work permits do say “DEMO OF KINGDA KA / ZUMANJARO RIDE” in the comments section, the work permit is not listed as Demolition permit, as it was for Green Lantern. Instead the permit’s “work type” says that it is for “Alteration” work. So… an alternation, not a complete demolition, which seems to imply that some aspect(s) of the old attractions may remain.
Now before Kingda Ka fans get too happy about this, I do have to point out that this could simply be a plan in place that might keep something as simple as the existing station and queue structures, and maybe whatever electrical connections for the ride computer control room, and so on.
I believe it can vary from state to state, depending on how building permits are done, but in some states the process of filing permits for new construction can be cheaper and done with far less red-tape if you do leave a small piece of the original structure, such as a small power room, that can be incorporated into your new project. So just a little something to keep in mind, though I’m sure there are local area readers much more versed in the building permit process used in the state of New Jersey so can chime in with some insight.
(12/20/2024) Now that Green Lantern is coming down, the time was right now bring down the entire parachute tower all at once. Check out the video clip below where they caught the tower’s final plunge.
While the crews work to finish taking down Green Lantern, Kingda Ka and Zumanjaro are next, as I’m told that the official demolition permits have now been filed.
(11/30/2024) I was wrong… and I’m still in shock over this, but the latest photos posted on social media prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Green Lantern is currently being torn apart for scrap rather than being removed carefully for relocation.
Consider me very surprised by this move, as to my knowledge, only three other B&M coasters were ever scrapped in this fashion. The first would technically be the original Incredible Hulk, but it was taken down for the purpose of being replaced immediately by a new clone which is still standing and just a couple years ago Alton Towers did the same thing with Nemesis. Otherwise, the only B&M coaster to be scrapped and wiped entirely off the face of the Earth would be the two sides of Dueling Dragons from Islands of Adventure. So now Green Lantern (formerly Chang) has joined this very short list.
UPDATE - (11/14/2024) In light of the complete omission of any mention at all of Zumanjaro in the press release Six Flags Great Adventure sent out earlier today, Screamscape reached out to the park for some clarification. Was this simply an oversight on the part of Six Flags by not mentioning Zumanjaro, or should we take this as a sort of clever ‘wink-wink’ to the park’s biggest fans?
According to the email we received from Staci Wheeler, Marketing & PR Manager for Six Flags Great Adventure, “I can provide clarification. Kingda Ka/Zumanjaro, Green Lantern™, Parachutes and The Twister in the Boardwalk/Golden Kingdom areas will make way for an all-new, multi-record-breaking, signature launch coaster to debut in 2026.“
(11/14/2024) It is now official. Six Flags Great Adventure sent out a press release confirming that Kingda Ka is now closed forever, along with the removal of Green Lantern, Twister, the Sky Ride and the closed Parachute tower ride to make way for a multi-record breaking new launched roller coaster for the 2026 season. (See below)
One very interesting note however, is that the press release failed to mention the closure or removal of Zumanjaro, which is attached to massive Kingda Ka top-hat framework... so either this was accidental or they may be planning on leaving enough of that structure up to save Zumanjaro. There is a third option... the one that hasn’t gone so well for them at Cedar Point so far, which would be to keep the top-hat section of the Kingda Ka coaster to incorporate into whatever new creation they have planned for 2026. Stay tuned!
2025 - The Flash: Vertical Velocity -(10/20/2024) While The Flash: Vertical Velocity has already been officially delayed until the 2025 season, we do have some good news this week. It may have taken most of the season, but a video has been posted showing off the coaster finally making test runs this week, giving everyone a peek about the ride experience to come next season.
(8/14/2024) To the disappointment of many, Six Flags has now officially delayed the opening of the new The Flash: Vertical Velocity roller coaster until the 2025 season.
(8/3/2024) Well, August is here and Flash: Vertical Velocity at Six Flags Great Adventure is still not open. There is some great irony in the fact that a ride themed to the world's fastest superhero has had one of the slowest construction paces of all time.
A new construction update video posted this weekend (see below) shows off the current status of the ride. While the coaster track itself has been physically installed for some time now, there apparently is no station structure in place and workers have been busy installed the Flash icon logo at the top of the central tower. For the most part a lot of the landscaping and fencing around the ride has been put into place, but otherwise there still seems to be a lot left to do as progress is moving at the proverbial “snail’s pace” for some reason.
So with all that in mind, I’d forget about seeing this ride open anytime this month, and focus more on it being something extra at the park during Fright Fest or during the Winter season.
(7/1/2024) A new construction update for Flash: Vertical Velocity at Six Flags Great Adventure can be seen below. As previously mentioned, track construction is complete and they appear to be finalizing the installation of the rest of the ride’s electrical work for the various launch systems and prepping things for any final concrete pours ahead of future ride testing.
(5/31/2024) So what’s going on with the new Flash coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure? According to various reports the track is now fully installed as of this week, so the park is waiting to install the cars onto the track and for clearance to begin testing soon. Unfortunately, this will still take several more weeks, so you may not want to expect to see The Flash: Vertical Velocity ready to open until sometime in July at this point. Stay tuned!
(3/21/2024) The new animation with some POV footage of The Flash: Vertical Velocity has been posted by Six Flags Great Adventure. Check it out below.
2026 - New Launched Roller Coaster - (11/14/2024) A press release from Six Flags states that, “in 2026, we’ll unveil an all-new, multi-record-breaking launch coaster, a must-ride attraction sure to capture fans' imaginations,” Bacica said. To make way for this landmark addition, the park has retired the Kingda Ka and GREEN LANTERN™ coasters, with construction beginning soon. This exciting new ride underscores Six Flags’ commitment to continually elevating the park experience and making every visit an unforgettable adventure for all.” Later on they also confirmed that Zumanjaro was also leaving as well, thus seeming to confirm that the entire Kingda Ka coaster and structure would be coming down for good to make way for whatever this massive new launched coaster project is. Stay tuned!
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