Six Flags Great Adventure Announces Plans for 2009

Fan Favorite Medusa to Get High Tech Makeover

Six Flags Great Adventure recently announced their plans for the upcoming 2009 season. Rather than adding a new coaster to their already staggering set of 13 thrill rides, the Jackson, New Jersey park will be dramatically ramping up a fan favorite; what was once the world's first "floorless" roller coaster; "Medusa."

"Medusa will amaze you all over again when it's redesigned and enhanced in 2009. Prepare for a multi-sensory ride experience with all-new thematics and innovative, state-of-the-art visual, audio and sensory effects launching it into another dimension of thrills and excitement." (Six Flags website: http://www.sixflags.com/greatAdventure/rides/Medusa.aspx)

The park plans to add to the already stellar experience of the ride by adding high tech components like fog, water, and a precisely synchronized audio production to enhance the sensory effects of the ride. It'll be more of storytelling experience coupled with the adventure, much like the themed rides at Disney or Universal theme parks.

According to Mark Kane, Six Flags Great Adventure Park President, the company's similar transformation to its "X2" coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain near Los Angeles met with "widespread acclaim" when it re-opened in May 2008. "We expect the re-launch of this ride to shatter that response. It will be a must-ride experience", said the executive.

The theme park industry is a competitive one. Winter announcements are met with much anticipation and enthusiasm, especially in areas where the parks don't operate during the cold months and fans are longing for those exciting summer days at the park. Though not as thrilling as the announcement of Kingda Ka's (a record breaker for both height and speed) opening in 2005, this upgrade will serve to enhance the fan's experience for the coming summer.

"Medusa" is already a personal favorite of mine and a great many other enthusiast, so this forthcoming makeover should make the coaster a whole new thrilling ride experience.