Six Flags Great Adventure today confirmed that its El Toro roller coaster will return for the 2022 season.
"El Toro is expected to reopen this spring following extensive testing, inspections, and state certification," the New Jersey theme park announced on its social media today. The Intamin coaster has been closed since an incident last June when a train partially derailed. A state Department of Community Affairs spokesperson at the time claimed that a rear up-stop wheel, which is supposed to prevents the train from lifting, had come up on top of the track.
There were no injuries in the incident.
El Toro is a former winner of our Theme Park Insider Award for Best Roller Coaster and ranked number eight in our reader survey last year for the world's best roller coasters.
The 4,400-foot Intamin coaster opened in 2006 and features a prefabricated wooden track. With a 176-foot, 76-degree first drop, El Toro reaches a top speed of 70 miles per hour.
For more on its home park, please visit our Guide to Six Flags Great Adventure.
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Someday I will make it on El Toro. I swear.
i was only able to ride it once on my one and only visit to sfgadv in 2009 but i've never forgotten it (sadly, kingda ka was closed). one thing you notice while waiting in line is how much punishment those trains take flying over those hills and into the first turnaround. i kept thinking "i bet this thing blows through wheels like crazy". i'm sure el toro keeps the maintenance team busy but she's worth it. what a ride!
Well, this is good news. I’m planning an east coast theme park tour this year, and SFGtAd is on my to-do list. Keeping fingers crossed it’ll still be open when I get there. I’ve never been to the park, so this makes my trip even more worthwhile.
Kingda ka and nitro are my personal favorites! I’ve only been on Kingda ka three times because it is rarely open. Overall, kingda ka is great! It is smooth but the force of the jolt at the beginning is big. I get nervous when I hear the hissing sound and while I am waiting 3 seconds for it to blast off, I get a feeling in my stomach.
That is gratifying, as El Toro is in my home park and a veritable masterpiece. It's also the reason I began riding roller coasters at the age of 59 and gradually progressed to reviewing them. Of all the coasters I've ridden in the USA, UK and Canada, El Toro remains my favorite.
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Although I live nowhere near New Jersey, I am very happy to hear that it is reopening and will not be permanently closed like some were speculating. I hope to eventually go on a cross-country roller coaster road trip and am very excited I will be able to ride this legend.