Posted on 09/29/2004 7:33:42 PM PDT by stainlessbanner
JACKSON, N.J. -- Six Flags Great Adventure is opening the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster this spring -- a thrill ride that accelerates to 128 mph in 3.5 seconds and rises 456 feet off the ground.
Plans for Kingda Ka, which is expected to be the cornerstone of new development at the central New Jersey amusement park, were to be unveiled Wednesday.
The current speed and height record holder is "Top Thrill Dragster" at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. Made by Intamin -- the same company Six Flags hired to build Kingda Ka -- Dragster shoots riders to 120 mph in 4 seconds and takes them to a height of 420 feet.
An animated depiction of Kingda Ka shows the coaster creeping slowly, stopping and then launching forward horizontally at nearly 130 mph before climbing at a 90-degree angle more than 45 stories above the park.
The coaster then spirals 270 degrees as it plummets, flattens out and climbs again as it shoots over a 129-foot hill, which the company says will make riders feel weightless. It's over in about 50 seconds.
"This is the first step in a process of really transforming Six Flags Great Adventure from the largest regional theme park in the world to a true regional destination," Kieran Burke, chief executive officer of Oklahoma City-based Six Flags, told The Associated Press.
Six Flags last year had 35 million visitors at 31 parks. In July, it reported a 3.3 percent attendance drop compared with last year.
Duane Marden, 35, a Brookfield, Wis., computer programmer who runs the online Roller Coaster Data Base, has ridden the Ohio coaster twice and calls it "a very intense experience." He expects the one in New Jersey to quickly become popular with enthusiasts.
"Anybody on the East Coast who is into roller coasters is going to be on this ride very soon," he said.
other try to imitate, but there is only one cedar point!
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooope. God made me human for a reason: I was born to be a land lover. As in, "I'm staying on the ground. Forever. Deal with it."
I hope it comes to Maryland!
Did they ever get the Dragster to work properly? I was there in July and was told it was still in the prototype stage. The train almost made it over the hill but didn't. Instead the train and the people in it went back down the hill they came from backwards. It was scary to watch. (Probably exciting as hell to be on tho).
Im not sure. I didnt get to ohio this summer
Oh man, that's so insane that it is great.
I love 'Collosus' at Magic Mountain. That is such a fun park for a rollercoaster nut like me!
the great thing about cedar point is that it is virtualy all coasters.
And they are all great coasters.
No waiting on the old coasters like the bluestreak
the hydro-launch rides are my favorite. buckle up and hang on!
Oh the blue streak! Now you're bringing me back to my childhood.
I've been on "Dragster" for one of those reverse trips. It was alot more fun going down backwards because you couldn't see what was coming. We did get to go through two launches though.
L0L!
You in Dallas? Im in Greenville
It was my first real coaster. Lots of memories.
I got to introduce my Kid to cedarpoint, that was a hoot
you must be a stanely fan eh? ;^)
We go to Ohio every year and my kids always insist on going to Cedar Point. They were disappointed that they couldn't get on the Dragster. It was shut down that day after the unfortunate incident.
I hope they get all the kinks worked out of that thing by next year.
I usually go back every summer myself
That's classic - put that in a "caption this" thread!
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