Go To The Official Six Flags Great Adventure Website For Current Park
Information
Six Flags Great
Adventure
2006 Expansion
Featuring El Toro and Plaza del
Carnaval
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Click on any thumbnail for the full size pic
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El
Toro Testing & Construction Update First(Human)Riders! June 6th
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| The first riders we saw | ||
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| Train with 2 empty seats between test runs with people | Two other riders later on (Lucky guys!!!) |
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El
Toro Testing & Construction Update
June 4th
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| Ride entry | The (very male) bull | View through the fence | Over the top |
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| View from the entrance | The station details | Don't forget to smile at the bottom of the second hill! | |
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| The lucky water dummies get to ride over and over and over for the testing cycle | |||
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El
Toro Testing & Construction Update June 3rd
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El
Toro & Plaza del Carnaval Construction Update May 26th
With opening day for Plaza del Carnaval scheduled for Saturday, workers were putting finishing touches in all over the place. The lush plantings and bright colors give the area a warm, vibrant feel. Check back tomorrow for opening day photos from inside Plaza del Carnaval!
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| The new plantings | El Mercado is stocked and ready | ||
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| The new game is already open | |||
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| The fence now sports colorful signs | Vintage look travel posters | ||
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| Tango's sign gets some final touch-ups | Even the garbage cans are in place for tomorrow's opening | ||
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| Workers are still all over El Toro getting it ready to begin testing | An aerial view with the new landscaping | The last hill of El Toro is nearly as tall as Rolling Thunder's second hill! | |
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El
Toro & Plaza del Carnaval Construction Update May 18th
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| 2 weeks until opening! | The Gazebo is for a guess your weight booth | ||
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| The bull has been pulled away from the fence | A coat of paint aged the base nicely | ||
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| Detail of Tango's queue and entry sign | workers are getting ready to add landscaping | Workers were all over the structure making final adjustments to the rails in preparation for testing to begin | |
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| They were also hard at work on the cable lift | The lakeside has been planted with new flowers among the rocks and the fences have been stained | Not much longer! | |
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El
Toro & Plaza del Carnaval Construction Update May 14th
Tango looks like it's just about ready to open, and work on the other buildings is taking place including fresh tropical paint colors to evoke the feeling of coastal Latin American architecture. Rolling Thunder appears to be readying for a reopening soon, with the trains now back on the track. Testing of El Toro, Tango and Rolling Thunder should begin soon, and it appears they are trying for a Memorial Day opening for the new section. |
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| The entry portal to Plaza del Carnaval | Sign detail | ||
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| The pillar appears to be getting more details added soon | You can see the different colors of paint being applied | ||
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| A new gazebo as part of the entrance | Tango in front of the freshly painted bathroom | ||
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| Rolling Thunder's trains are on track in preparation for opening | New tropical colors on all the buildings | Tango's operator booth and queues are in place | The restaurant and the old Icee stand both are getting remodeled and painted in fresh colors |
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| The bathrooms are now turquoise | The dome on the station building has been painted gold | El Toro's lift cable seems to be ready to go | The fences along the pathway seem to be nearly complete |
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El
Toro & Plaza del Carnaval Construction Update May 5th
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| More details added to Tango | Looking good | ||
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| The walkways are going into place | |||
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| The shop looks almost finished | View from the Skyride | ||
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| The operator booth for Tango and some scenery pieces have arrived | The new walkways and a foundation for something have been poured | ||
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El
Toro & Plaza del Carnaval Construction Update April 29th
It appears the push is on to get Plaza del Carnaval ready to open in time for Cinco de Mayo, with fences going up and paving work about to commence. Tango has arrived and looks great! It's Carnaval float design fits nicely.
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| Topper for Tango | Tango! | ||
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| Tango! | Tango! | ||
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| Final preparations for paving are underway | Ripping up the old pavement | ||
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| The Plaza area is taking shape with the new merchandise kiosk in place alongside Tango | |||
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| The bents are going in quickly in Rolling Thunder's infield | View from the lake | ||
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| There are still a couple of gaps in the rails | View of the turn | Perfect day for pictures! | |
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| Another gap in the rails | The new fence | The crew is hard at work on Saturday | |
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| The lift mechanism is coming together | More new fence | View of the turn from above | Overview form the Golden Kingdom |
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El
Toro Construction Update April 19th
Construction really seems to be coming along! Rails are going into place quickly and it looks like nearly all of the bents are assembled in the storage area and just waiting for installation. The foundation for the new ride, Tango is coming along nicely and the landscaping seems to be taking shape
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| Some of the El Toro merchandise available at the park | From this angle it looks like it's ready to roll! | ||
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| Workers are all over the structure getting things done | Still a lot more rails to attach though | ||
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| The foundation for Tango is taking shape | A construction worker soaks up the sun | ||
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Watch
for more updates coming soon!
Discuss all the construction at |
| A crane is now in Rolling Thunder's infield ready to start assembling the bents for the twister section | Hill #3 has most of it's rails in place now | ||
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| Rails waiting to be installed | Overview of Plaza del Carnaval | The landscaping seems to have begun along the path to the bridge | |
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El
Toro Construction April 14th
Construction really seems to be coming along!
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| Workers are hard at work on Good Friday | The curve section looks nearly complete | ||
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| A lot more structure behind the bull | That's a lot of wood! | ||
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| It's going to be a tight squeeze! Good thing the bridge is coming back to ease congestion. | The hills look nearly complete | The pass-through under this hill goes nearly to the top | View from the lake |
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| The first drop is huge... | ...especially when there are workers on it to show the scale | A woodie fans paradise! | The pass-through frames the first loop of GASM |
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| The turn around from the Boardwalk | It appears the cable lift-cable is being installed | Another view of those beautiful hills | The banked turn through the structure |
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Out in the parts storage area, many smaller bents seem to be ready to go into place. From the look of them, they appear to be the lower bents for the final twister section in Rolling Thunder's infield. |  |
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El
Toro Construction April 9th
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| The old ramps from the Viper station now are sitting in the construction lot | |||
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| The parts yard | View from the lake | ||
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| The turn is really taking shape | View from the bridge | Looking down the lake | |
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| The hills are almost connected | View from The Golden Kingdom | The first drop | El Toro dwarfs Rolling Thunder |
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| View from the Golden Kingdom | View from the Safari | Hill #3 is almost done | The amazing turn |
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| View from the Skyride (formatted for use as 1024 x 768 desktop wallpaper) | |||
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| View of Plaza del Carnaval under construction | |||
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El
Toro Construction April 1st
Despite being a Saturday, the construction crews were hard at work today. They are working in several places at once, and seem to be making pretty good progress.
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El
Toro Construction
March 31st
The coaster looks really impressive, though there is still a lot of work to do! |
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October
29th Vertical!  Formatted for use as 1024x768 Desktop Wallpaper |
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| The first bents are in place | View from the other side of the lake | ||
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| These are the approach to the lift hill base | This seems to be the tallest frame built so far | ||
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| A bunch of taller ones for the lift are laying around the site | Some of the next bents waiting to go up | The old Shockwave train is still sitting in the storage area along with all the El Toro parts | |
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October
28th It appears the last of the trees which needed removal are gone this week, and site preparation continues at a good pace. According to the Park's Official Construction Journal, the ride should be going vertical by Halloween Day! To see the site plans for Plaza del
Carnaval, visit the News & Notes
Page. |
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| Parts continue to arrive from Germany | Even more bents have been assembled this week | ||
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| A stack of bents lays next to the rails | These should be going up very soon! | ||
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| The footers have the brackets in place for the lift hill supports to go up any day now! | More bolt assemblies waiting for the concrete footers to be poured | ||
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| A different view now that some of the trees are gone | These trees are staying | Everything behind La Cantina has been cleared out | All the old concrete is gone |
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| It's all down to the bare dirt in preparation for the makeover | The old Sombrero ride pad is completely gone now | ||
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| Concrete trucks continued to deliver for pouring footers after 5:00 PM tonight, coming through the Kingda Ka line | All the trees which blocked the view of Rodeo Stampede are gone | Rotor's foundation has been removed | View of the cleared lake front |
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| Close-up of the Rotor foundation site | Next year there will be a LOT of wood here! | Another view of the former concrete jungle | A lot more of Runaway Train is visible now the trees are gone |
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October
22nd For the official construction progress on El Toro, Plaza del Carnaval, and Bugs Bunny National Park, visit the park's official website and see their new Photo Gallery. |
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| The construction of bents is coming along nicely | The fountain, freestanding game building, and shooting gallery are all gone, and the concrete pads from the rides are being ripped up | ||
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| Utility lines have been marked throughout the construction area for Bugs Bunny National Park | Markings stretch from the Great Lake Grandstand all the way to the Log Flume entrance | The site is cleared and ready for new construction | |
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October
15th All the rain over the past doesn't seem to have slowed construction much. More parts have arrived, and demolition of old concrete continues. For the official construction progress on El Toro, Plaza del Carnaval, and Bugs Bunny National Park, visit the park's official website and read their new construction diary. |
Lots more of the metal brackets which connect the wood structure to the concrete footers have arrived on pallets |
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| Tons of new lumber including some really long pieces have arrived | |||
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| The new Bugs Bunny National Park logo has appeared in the Preview Center | Demolition on the service area behind La Cantina is underway, in preparation for its transformation into La Cocina | ||
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| More markings for the Bugs Bunny National Park expansion have appeared, this one just outside the Great Lake Grandstand | Large piles of the old concrete are all that is left of the old El Sombrero/Tweety Roundup site | Some new mustard color things have arrived in bundles stacked next to the station building | |
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| The Rodeo Stampede site is completely cleared out | More views of the concrete being removed. According to the site plan, all the concrete in this picture will be removed and replaced with new textured concrete walkways | An overview of the lakeside which will be a much-changed view next season! | |
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October
10th Progress is being made on the ground preparation of Plaza del Carnaval, and the first markings have appeared around the Bandstand in preparation for Bugs Bunny National Park. Parts and truck loads of concrete are arriving regularly, and demolition is nearing completion. |
Several control points have been marked all around the Bandstand in preparation for the construction of Bugs Bunny National Park |
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| Workers were swarming all over the storage area today | |||
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| Pieces of what appear to be steel anti-rollback for the lift have arrived | The Waffle Cone stand is gone except for the freezer | The old entry poles have been removed | Bolts are being assembled in templates for the footers |
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| The old shooting gallery building has been demolished | Concrete is being torn up all over the section | The concrete pad from the Tweety Roundup site is being broken up | With the first footers in place, vertical construction should begin within the next week or two |
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October
2nd Work seems to be progressing well on the site of El Toro, and parts continue to arrive. The site plans for the area have been posted in the park's Preview Center, and can be seen on the News & Notes Page. |
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| A couple of interesting metal pieces have arrived which appear to be part of the lift mechanism | Several of the footers appear to have been poured on the site | ||
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| More views of the metal pieces along with those beautiful rails | You can just see the tops of the footers from here | ||
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| Demolition around the station | All of the fake fronts from the Viper queue are now gone | The concrete pad from under the Rodeo Stamped is being torn up along with its operator booth | It appears they are still doing a lot of drainage work to prepare the site |
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| Views of the area around the Bandstand slated to become Bugs Bunny National Park in 2006. The press release lacked many specifics as to exactly what attractions or where they would be placed, but this area is ripe for improvement | |||
Information and Illustrations from the Press Release:
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SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE WILL DEBUT MONSTROUS WOODEN ROLLER COASTER IN NEWLY-THEMED AREA AND NEW LOONEY TUNES™ KIDS' SECTION IN 2006El Toro will challenge the most daring thrill seekers, while third children's area will provide maximum family funJACKSON, N.J., September 28, 2005 - In 2006, thrill seekers at the World's largest regional theme park will challenge El Toro, an enormous, new wooden roller coaster under construction at Six Flags Great Adventure. The thrill ride, which incorporates the most daring features of the world's best wooden roller coasters combined with the smooth speed of a steel coaster, will be the star of a vibrant, newly-themed area of the park, Plaza del Carnaval. Just around the corner, families with young children will explore exciting, pint-sized adventures in the all-new Bugs Bunny™ National Park kids' area, featuring new rides and attractions designed just for them. Both new areas, including monstrous El Toro, are set to open next season. "Classic design meets state-of-the-art thrills with our spectacular, new wooden roller coaster," said Rick McCurley, the park's vice president and general manager. "As part of our multi-year expansion to a family destination, this massive coaster adventure will anchor a colorful, newly-themed area evoking the lively energy of Spanish-speaking regions of the world." El Toro's unique design, inspired by the agility and strength of the brave Matadors, features a hybrid design including a classic "out and back" track with four fast-charging drops, multiple highly-banked turns and a beastly "twister" finale. El Toro will also deliver nine "airtime" opportunities, giving riders the highly-sought thrill ride sensation of weightlessness. At 181 feet tall, reaching 70 mph, El Toro will rank among the tallest and fastest wooden roller coasters in the world. Its 4,400 feet of mountainous track includes records for second tallest, fastest and longest drop of all wooden coasters in America and features the world's steepest drop on a wooden roller coaster, 76 white-knuckled degrees. El Toro will anchor the colorful and lively Plaza del Carnaval section along a scenic waterway. This newly-themed area will feature La Cocina restaurant offering authentic Mexican fare, plus an open-air, marketplace-style retail shop and a new, themed family ride. Plaza del Carnaval will also include one of the world's rare, classic dual-track wooden roller coasters, Rolling Thunder, introduced in 1979. Just around the corner, parents and their young children will explore Bugs Bunny National Park, an all-new, wilderness-themed children's area with tons of fun for little ones. Located on Six Flags Great Adventure's picturesque Great Lake, this new kids' area, featuring Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tunes pals, will join Looney Tunes Seaport and Balin's Jungleland as the park's third section devoted to the youngest thrill seekers. Families will enjoy the great outdoors with new rides, an interactive water play feature, plus a lakeside theater with a high-spirited show for kids and a snack bar with lots of sweet treats. "Moms and dads told us their kids love the new Balin's Jungleland area this season, and they want more," McCurley said. "We listened, and with nearly 25 rides specially-designed for kids 54 inches and under, dozens of rides for tweens and teens, and the world's ultimate coaster collection, Six Flags Great Adventure will be the perfect way to enjoy playtime together in 2006." The new Bugs Bunny National Park, and Plaza del Carnaval featuring El Toro, are slated for a spring 2006 opening. Guests can take a virtual ride on El Toro and receive up-to-the-minute news throughout the park's winter construction project on www.sixflags.com. For more information, call (732) 928-1821 or visit Six Flags Great Adventure, Wild Safari and Hurricane Harbor on the Web at www.sixflags.com. |
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