Kinga Ka

Like Its Little Brother In Ohio, This Koaster Is Just Krazy.

This ride review is going to be different that most others, primarily because the ride experience is so close to what was, for just two short years, the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster, Top Thrill Dragster. This time, I'll let the photos tell most of the story. Enjoy.

This is the view of Six Flags Great Adventure's Kinga Ka from the parking lot. See that tiny little speed bump of a hill to the right of the tower? That's 129 feet tall.

A lot of enthusiasts have already said so much about how well themed the park's new "Golden Kingdom" section is, and they're right. Except for the gi-normous coasters all over the place, you really might think you were at a Disney park. Well done.

This is a close-up of just one of the many carvings in the trees. They were all created by a chainsaw artist. Cool, right?

Kids get to romp around in this nifty treehouse play structure.

The whole "Balin’s Jungleland" area looks great, even if most of it caters to the wee ones.

I wasn't able to catch the "Spirit of the Tiger" show, but the temple in which it's held looks neato. By the way, the Great American Scream Machine's spanky new paint job rocks. The Arrow mega-looper, seen in the background, appears brand new.

Kitties! There are several viewing areas where you can watch as these beautiful tigers lounge around and cool off in the water. If you're lucky, you might get to see them fed line-jumpers! (Just kidding. Line-jumpers are fed to them after the park closes.)

No matter how many times I ride these strata-coasters, I simply freeze up planted in the train, waiting to launch. Less than ten seconds from sitting still to cresting the top of that 456-foot-tall tower... There's a prerecorded announcement that goes something like, "Head back, hands down, hold on!" And then, when the train does that sly little rollback, engaging the catch car...

... help me ...

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Up and over, the view from the top is ridiculous: Great Adventure's parking lot from 45 stories high. (Really, there has to be something very wrong with us for seeking out these experiences.)

"We're alive... ALIVE!" I expected the brake hill to be an extra treat, but you know what? After the tower, I barely registered it.

One word: Transcendent.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Since this web site was first created, Six Flags Great Adventure has really poured it on. Batman & Robin: The Chiller. Medusa. Nitro. And now this baby. That's a damned good run.

And there's plenty more good news coming. The former site of Viper (the Togo heartline coaster that seemed to be less popular than dirt) has indeed been picked completely clean and awaits something new, with an announcement scheduled for some time in September. Might it be another coaster? Perhaps a wooden one? We'll all know soon.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kingda Ka

• TOP SPEED: 128 Miles Per Hour
• MAX. HEIGHT: 456 feet
• MAX. ASCENT ANGLE: 90 Degrees
• MAX. DESCENT ANGLE: 90 Degrees
• RIDE DURATION: Fifteen seconds, give or take
• MANUFACTURER: Intamin AG, Wollerau, Switzerland

Top