Revisiting The Debut of Jersey Devil Coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure
On June 10, 2021, it became official! You could now add Six Flags Great Adventure to the list of Six Flags parks featuring at least one RMC coaster in their collection. That day the park held Media / VIP Previews for the highly-anticipated World’s Tallest, Fastest, and Longest Single-Rail Coaster, Jersey Devil.
Originally announced as a new attraction coming in 2020, due to the pandemic, ultimately JDC was delayed and instead became the new 2021 addition at Great Adventure. Jersey Devil Coaster stands 13 stories tall, travels at speeds up to 58 miles per hour, and propels riders single file through the dark and foreboding woods while traveling over 3,000 feet of track. Inspired by infamous New Jersey mythology, this cutting-edge coaster includes three dramatic inversions and several airtime moments. You can check out the originally released animation of what Jersey Devil Coaster would become here.
Official Jersey Devil Coaster Animation from Original Announcement
Where Did the Idea for a Jersey Devil Theme Come From?
Glad you asked, Legend says the Jersey Devil has haunted the Pine Barrens for centuries, soaring stealthily through the woods in the dark of night before attacking its prey. Modern-day folklore places this beast near Prospertown Lake, with its menacing, curled horns manifesting under a full moon.
Great Adventure’s then Park President, John Winkler, added, “Jersey Devil folklore has been a source of fear and intrigue here in the Pine Barrens for more than 200 years. We’ll immerse riders in this iconic piece of New Jersey history on our monstrous, new scream machine.”
With so much history and folklore behind the JDC theme, Six Flags designers incorporated historical “Easter eggs” in the coaster entrance and within the queue design to add to the intrigue and enjoyment for folklore buffs.
Check Out Those Trains!
Jersey Devil features four themed trains that hold 12 riders each in a single file inline configuration. The trains themselves are very comfortable and for those wondering they are also forgiving even for larger riders. You sit low with your legs straddling each side of the single-rail RMC Raptor patented track design. This provides a unique and new ride experience compared to any other coaster in Great Adventure’s already impressive lineup.
How Quick and Easy is it to Load Jersey Devil Coaster?
Only 12 riders per train? Man, those lines are going to take forever! Have you heard anyone say that? Well, a very cool feature of Jersey Devil is its continuously moving station. As the train enters the station each row becomes unlocked and current riders can jump off with those waiting to get on jumping right in after them. This process goes quickly, especially with the simple pull-down and lock setup for the restraints. With 4 trains running and the continuously moving station, the line is always in motion. These next videos show you how quick and easy the loading process is and then how quickly each train climbs the 130-foot tall lift hill.
Jersey Devil Coaster Loading Process
Now That We Are In Let’s Head Up The Lift!
Now Here’s a Little Recap of the Jersey Devil Coaster's Key Features:
Elaborately-themed entrance portal and queue design that features informative storyboards regarding the Jersey Devil’s origin
Four sleek themed trains each carrying 12 passengers, sitting low and inline style (one rider per row) with their legs straddling each side of the monorail track
3,000 feet of soaring, single-rail RMC Raptor patented I-beam track
Tension-building ascent up a towering 130-foot lift hill
Speeds up to 58 MPH
Intense elements including a steep 87-degree first drop and an overbanked cutback
Three dramatic inversions including a 180-degree Stall, Raven Dive & Zero-Gravity Roll
Final Thoughts?
Great Adventure already had a solid coaster lineup and JDC just adds to it. Rocky Mountain Construction once again has delivered a hit by packing a lot of fun and thrills into this larger version of their Raptor model. Here are just some of the awesome stats that we recorded on both front and rear seat rides using the Ride Forces App on an Apple Watch.
JDC has solid pacing, a good mix of elements, and even some great views. Especially from the top of the lift hill. After the MCBR the pace does slow down but as the coaster has broken in the pace has picked up here too.
CW3 Adventures would like to again thank the Six Flags Great Adventure team for inviting us to attend the Media / VIP Preview. We had a blast as I’m sure many have now on this RMC designed Jersey Devil Coaster!
Want To Go For a Ride?
Ok so here is the official park footage of Jersey Devil Coaster. It includes drone views, fixed camera shots, rider-facing reverse POV clips, and then a full forward-facing unedited on-ride POV. Below that are several pics of the coaster layout, including behind-the-scenes shots, taken during the preview event.
Official Jersey Devil Coaster Footage Including Full Forward POV
Photos From the Jersey Devil Coaster Media / VIP Preview
Thanks for taking the time to check out our Jersey Devil Coaster recap from the original media day preview at Six Flags Great Adventure.