World's Tallest Freefall Opening at Six Flags Great Adventure in 2014

I love when the really good rumors are true!  Six Flags Great Adventure will be the home to the world's tallest freefall ride when it opens Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom on the side of the Kingda Ka roller coaster in 2014.

41 stories above the ground, 415 feet to be exact, is how high Zumanjaro will lift riders before letting them freefall downward at a maximum speed of 90 miles per hour.  To make the trip even more intense, the freefalls will operate while Kingda Ka trains zoom up and around them, creating exciting interaction between the rides.  Zumanjaro will consist of three separate towers, each of which will seat eight riders at a time when they make the 30 second trip up to the top of the ride.

 "Zumanjaro solidifies Six Flags Great Adventure’s dominance as the Northeast’s thrill capital,” said John Fitzgerald, park president. “This is precisely the world-class, record-breaking attraction our guests have come to expect from Great Adventure. Zumanjaro is destined to top many ‘must ride’ lists in 2014."  The name Zumanjaro is inspired by the park's 2013 addition, the Safari Off Road Adventure.

Access to the new tower rides will be from a "newly-themed animal section adjacent to Zumanjaro will feature mischievous and playful Anubis baboons native to Africa. For nearly 40 years, these baboons were a favorite of Safari visitors, but not included in the new Safari Off Road Adventure."

“Throughout this season, guests have inquired about the baboons. We can finally announce that they will be the stars of this newly-themed area,” Fitzgerald said. Guests will be able to see the lively primates, also known as olive baboons, up close in their new habitat formerly known as Safari Discoveries. These members of the Old World Monkey family “have a highly organized social structure and their interactions are fascinating to watch,” he added.

With the new comes the announcement of the removal of one of the park's roller coasters, Rolling Thunder.  Opened in 1979, the dual track pair of coasters have given over 42 million rides during their lives.  It sounds like some of the land that Rolling Thunder occupied will be utilized in next year's expansion.  Rolling Thunder will close for good on September 8th.

Next door to the theme park, Hurricane Harbor will build the Cabana Cove, an area offering a selection of cabanas available for rent.  Included in the area will be a new Tiki Bar that will offer beverage service to the cabanas.

Personally I cannot wait to try out Zumanjaro - few rides really bring out that true feeling of fear quite like a freefall!