OUT OF AFRICA
Six Flags NJ turns 50 with a wild new ride and a glamping safari lodge
SINCE 1974, Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ, has been best known for its wild animal safari and its crazy, intense coasters. On the occasion of its 50th anniversary this year, the theme park resort will add a wholly unique way to experience its menagerie and bring one more crazy coaster to its midway.
Wait. Theme park resort, you say? Yup. After a long day of riding coasters, guests will now be able to stay overnight in upscale glamping accommodations inside the 350-acre Great Adventure Wildlife Safari park.
For the uninitiated, “glamping” is a portmanteau of “glamorous” and “camping.” Six Flags’ new Savannah Sunset Resort & Spa will offer 20 permanently tented suites situated within the park, in Camp Aventura, one of the highest vantage points of the animal reserve.
Expect king-size beds, bathrooms with walk-in showers and, because you never know what the temperature might be in the wilds of New Jersey, air conditioning. There will even be kitchenettes in the larger suites, and gourmet breakfast is included in the rate.
After indulging in avocado toast or bagels with lox, resort guests will be able to feed giraffes as part of the glamping experience. There will also be other animal encounters as well as exclusive tours and private viewing areas of the safari park.
“The safari has always been a hidden gem here,” said Staci Wheeler, marketing and p.r. manager for Six Flags Great Adventure, explaining its enduring appeal. “It’s a unique opportunity for folks who don’t want to go all the way to Africa for an overnight experience on safari.”
At night, there will be activities for resort guests such as fire pits with s’mores and movies under the stars. Optional spa services, which Wheeler says will be “African-inspired,” will also be offered.
Savannah Sunset Resort rates start at $449 per night, with a two-night minimum stay. The rates include passes to the theme park as well as Six Flags’ water park, Hurricane Harbor.
Over its five decades, Six Flags Great Adventure has expanded to include one of the largest arsenals of kickass roller coasters in the world, including the record-breaking, 456-foot-tall Kingda Ka.
Now it’s bringing a new scream-inducer, the Flash: Vertical Velocity, for new kinds of thrills at the park. Known as a “super boomerang,” it will be the first ride of its kind in the US.
“We’re particularly excited about its innovative features, including its lightning-fast launches, exhilarating inversions and intense airtime moments that promise to deliver an adrenaline rush like no other,” said Brian Bacica, president of Six Flags Great Adventure.
Magnetic motors will blast passengers backward up a 164-foot-tall vertical tower where it will stall out and plummet forward for another magnetic jolt of juice. That will send the train soaring at its top speed of 59 mph through a series of discombobulating elements.
A final burst of power will catapult the coaster up the reverse side of the tower, where it will again slow to a halt.
For its second act, the Flash will free fall down the tower and retrace the course in reverse, hence the boomerang designation.
Water park Hurricane Harbor will get in on the golden anniversary fun too, with the debut of Splash Island.
The area will include a large, interactive play structure with waterfalls, fountains, water cannons, a tipping water bucket and other water-soaking features. The addition will also welcome seven new water slides designed for younger thrill seekers, including a mini funnel slide and a halfpipe slide.
Six Flags will also lavish some attention on the Saw Mill Log Flume and the Giant Wheel. This towering Ferris wheel will get a new light package that will illuminate the midway at night.
“Classic attractions like the Giant Wheel, carousel and Log Flume continue to offer cherished memories to multiple generations of parkgoers,” Bacica said.