Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom

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.

Rumors that Six Flags Great Adventure would be adding a drop tower attached to Kingda Ka, similar to Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom 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.

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. 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. 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.

The ride opened to the public on July 4, 2014.

Opening delays

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 the opening due to the weather during the construction of the ride with its extreme heights. 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. 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. However, two days after the second delayed opening, the park opened the ride to the public on July 4, 2014.

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 queue along a new African baboon habitat. Riders are harnessed in by over-the-shoulder restraints. Catch cars hoist the gondolas up the tower before reaching a dynamic height of 415 feet (126 m). The gondolas are then released into a fast free-fall descent, attaining a terminal velocity of 90 miles per hour (140 km/h) for six seconds. Once at the top of the 415-foot-tall ascent, riders, on a clear day, are able to see Philadelphia, which is 52 miles (84 km) away from the park.

Facts

Records

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

While Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom is the tallest drop tower, it is not the highest by elevation. The highest by elevation is The Sky Drop located atop the 1,492-foot (455 m) high deck of the Canton Tower in Guangzhou, which carries riders 99 feet (30 m) upwards to an elevation of 1,591 feet (485 m) Riders experience the free fall twice, once sat in a staddard gondola, then aa second time but in a stand up tilting gondola. The Sky Drop was built in 2010 by Intamin.