What to Know
- Face-off 4-D cars seat up to 8 per vehicle on a twisting I-box track, allowing riders to face each other as they tumble head over heels
- A 120-foot-tall, 90-degree hill is ascended by an elevator-style, chain link lift
- Onboard magnetic technology gives smooth free-fly flips and feeling of weightlessness as riders soar outside confines of traditional track
Six Flags Great America unveiled it’s first-ever free-fly roller coaster Thursday, promising the “most unique and intense” ride in the amusement park’s history.
Ditching the traditional roller coaster train, The Joker puts riders into small, swiveling sidecars that give the sensation of weightlessly free-falling as they flip and soar along the track.
Four sidecars, with two seats each, begin the ride with an elevator-style lift up a 12-story, 90-degree hill before launching through a series of twists, turns and unexpected drops.
“The wing seats amp up the pandemonium since riders will experience this wild adventure with no track above or below – just the sky, ground and plenty of sinister thrills," according to the announcement.
The Joker will naturally battle next to its arch nemesis, Batman The Ride, and serve as the new massive centerpiece of the Yankee Harbor section of the Gurnee amusement park.
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“We are excited to continue our partnership with the DC brand as it continues to resonate well with our guests. The Joker is undeniably one of the greatest Super-Villains of all time,” said Hank Salemi, Six Flags Great America park president. “This free-fly coaster will perfectly capture the essence of the warped and unpredictable nature of The Joker. It will take our park to the next level of thrills.”
The Joker officially opens in the spring of 2017.
