UPDATE June 29 – According to the Six Flags Great Adventure App, El Toro and the numerous other attractions which were closed temporarily yesterday due to the weather are set to reopen again today. This is positive news for those visiting the park today. All eyes are still on Kingda Ka to see when a reopening will happen for this headlining attraction. The roller coaster has been closed since June 5 due to a launch cable malfunction.
June 28 16:00 EDT- According to the Six Flags Great Adventure App, El Toro is temporarily closed due to weather at Six Flags Great Adventure. A number of other rides at the park are also labelled as closed due to weather including; BATMAN: The Ride, Big Wheel, Buccaneer, CYBORG Cyber Spin, Dare Devil Dive, GREEN LANTERN, Great American Road Race, HARLEY QUINN Crazy Train, Houdini’s Great Escape, Jersey Devil Coaster. Medusa, Nitro, SUPERMAN: Ultimate Flight, Skyscreamer, Slingshot, The JOKER, WONDER WOMAN Lasso of Truth and Zumajaro: Drop of Doom.
We hope El Toro and the other long list of attractions that are currently closed due to the weather will reopen soon.
June 27 18:28 EDT – El Toro is now back open again at Six Flags Great Adventure, we are hoping that any issue which caused the temporary closure is now fixed.
June 27 – El Toro reopened at Six Flags Great Adventure on June 17 after being shuttered since August 2022. There have been a whole host of positive reviews since then which is excellent to see. Yesterday and today, however, El Toro has been listed as “temporarily closed” on the official app. We are hoping that this will just be a short closure and we will see El Toro reopening very soon.
Whilst Kingda Ka still remains closed, it is even more vital for Six Flags Great Adventure to get El Toro reopened as soon as possible. We will update you on this when we have further information.
June 18 – The news finally arrived that we had all been waiting for, El Toro reopened yesterday (June 17) at Six Flags Great Adventure. El Toro opened to season pass holders at 9:30AM and regular ticket holders from 1:30PM. This same pattern will take place today (Sunday, June 18).
The burning question we all wanted answering is, “how does it ride?” Well, in a new video posted by ElToroRyan it appears that El Toro is fast and running smoothly. One rider commented that it was “running better than ever”. We were eager to find out if riders would be able to feel the difference between the old and new track sections and current reports are that you can tell but it is not too obvious which is very encouraging. Take a look for yourself at the reopening day footage in the video below.
We have seen testing continue daily on El Toro after beginning June 6 and this week with both trains being seen making their rounds of this iconic coaster. In a video posted by ElToroRyan (June 16) we heard the fantastic news of the return of this hugely popular roller coaster to Six Flags Great Adventure.
We suspect that June 16 was the date Six Flags Great Adventure were hoping to reopen El Toro and with confirmation that today (June 17) the ride will reopen to guests this will certainly come as great news for fans of this classic roller coaster.
With the headlining attraction Kingda Ka now closed due to a suspected launch cable snap we expect Six Flags Great Adventure are even more relieved that this long shuttered roller coaster has been given the all clear on safety inspections and can reopen.
We were really hoping that we would not see the same situation as The Grizzly at Kings Dominion which since its recent reopening has had very mixed views. It also has seen large sections of the roller coaster retracked which in its case has left guests with an experience which alternates between beautifully smooth and unpleasantly rough. It appears from initial reports that this is not the case with El Toro which is fantastic to hear.
Footage of testing on El Toro can also be seen in this video posted by Colliwood Studios on June 9.
It was breaking news when the first footage appeared online of testing taking place and the track being walked. Check out the footage below which was posted to Instagram by Owen pa.coasterfan.
El Toro has remained closed at Six Flags Great Adventure since the incident on the evening of Thursday August 25, when 13 riders were injured after the train hit a “pothole” which is a slight separation between the steel track and the wooden structure.
We have been closely following the retracking of this iconic wooden coaster and below is another update which has been posted on YouTube by Coliwood Studios from May 5.
Work appears to be happening on the lift hill with a machine set up at the base of the cable lift, from rumors it seems that they could either be respooling it, changing the cable or working on the motor.
Majority of the re-tracking looks to be completed including the top turn area prior to the first large drop as well as the floater hill. The whole area at the bottom of the turn around has received new wood supports.
The trains are still in position and it is expected that El Toro will reopen at some point this summer. Some rumors online suggested a Memorial Day reopening which we always thought was slightly optimisitic.
Six Flags Great Adventure opened for the 2023 season on Saturday April 1, and thanks to a video posted on YouTube by Coliwood Studios we can saw the work that had been done on El Toro.
The video from April 1, shows numerous parts of the roller coaster which have been completely retracked including a significant portion on the bottom of the first drop as well as the turn at top of lift hill new track, the bottom of first camel back hill (second hill), the bottom of the turn around element and the rolling thunder hill. These parts which have been retracked can be clearly seen as they are darker in color than the original track.
You can also see in the video that the two El Toro trains have been completely repainted and although they do not have new headrests the side guards have been completely replaced. The Kia advertising appears to have been stripped from the train and it has been returned to its original dark brown color.
There has been speculation that work has been done on the cable lift, potentially a new cable has been or will be fitted but this has not confirmed at this point. There is also a rumor that El Toro could be getting a panel upgrade.
The sign nearby reads “PLAZA DEL CARNIVAL, EL TORO, TANGO & MACHO NACHO Opening This Summer” and confirms that El Toro fans will once again be able to ride this iconic roller coaster at some point this summer. We still await a firm date although Memorial Day Weekend (May 29) is currently being floated and will update you as soon as it is announced.
The video also updates you on everything new at Six Flags Great Adventure including new banners at the entrance, a new basketball game and the Wicked Saloon outdoor bar area. There is also set to be an Autism certified center in the Bugs Bunny National Park where the Camp Kitchen is. An opening date for this has not been announced.
From the video update from the beginning of March posted to YouTube by ElToroRyan, we knew that this iconic wooden roller coaster would not be ready to reopen for the start of the 2023 season on April 1.
This video update showed that El Toro continues to be re-tracked with repairs and replacements also being done to the ride’s structure and supports. El Toro has been closed since the incident on August 25, 2022 when 13 riders were injured after the train hit a “pothole” which is a slight separation between the steel track and the wooden structure.
According to the report, El Toro will reopen at some point in the summer when all repairs and work have been completed and signed off. Work is set to ramp up further in the following weeks with cranes on site. As a result of this, a number of other rides in the vicinity of El Toro will remain closed until Memorial Day Weekend (May 29, 2023). These include Medusa, The Runaway Mine Train and the Skyway.
Although the wait is frustrating, when El Toro does reopen in the summer it should be ready to run safely and reliably and will newly painted trains! We will keep you updated with further details of the re-tracking and repairing of El Toro over the coming months and will inform you of the official reopening date as soon as it is announced.
December 5 – Fans of El Toro would have been excited to hear the news that the mighty coaster is set to reopen for the 2023 season. In a recent update we can see that certain sections of the coaster are being re-tracked. So far this can be seen at the bottom of the first camel back. There is also track visibly missing from the bottom of the first drop and turnaround.
We found out in the inspection report following the malfunction on August 25 where 13 people were reported injured that “Experts discovered a section of the ride sub-structure that requires repair.” It makes sense that this section and any further parts of track that need it are being replaced. Check out the video below which was posted by Coliwood Studios to see how El Toro currently looks. .We will keep you updated with further progress on our news and Facebook page.
September 30 – According to a news story from Patch, we can expect the mighty El Toro to be ready to reopen for the 2023 season. Gabriel Darretta, a spokesperson for Six Flags Great Adventure said in an interview, “Experts discovered a section of the ride sub-structure that requires repair. The ride will remain closed to complete the review and make necessary repairs.”
It was reported that 13 people in total were injured in the incident on August 25, with five being taken to hospital. Two people sustained back injuries, two were treated for mouth/tongue injuries and one had a neck injury.
Gabriel Darretta went on to say, “Prior to re-opening, which is expected in time for the 2023 season, the ride will be inspected again, including evaluations by the state of New Jersey and certified, independent ride safety experts,”
With some fans speculating that it could be the end of the road for El Toro after the malfunction on August 25, the news that the roller coaster will reopen in 2023 will be very welcome indeed. We will keep you posted on further updates regarding El Toro when they are announced on our news and Facebook page. Are you pleased to hear that El Toro is to reopen in 2023 at Six Flags Great Adventure?
September 22 – El Toro has been ruled as “structurally compromised” according to the first inspection report conducted by State inspectors. During the field investigation, inspectors have “identified structural damage affecting multiple wooden track support columns in a section of the coaster track”.
Further investigations are ongoing and El Toro will remain closed indefinitely at Six Flags Great Adventure until the track has been repaired and all safety tests have been passed. So far we don’t have a timeline for when El Toro is likely to reopen.
El Toro had only been open for five months following its closure due to a partial derailment in June 2021. We will update you with further details regarding the incident on August 25, 2022 and when El Toro is set to reopen on our news and Facebook page.
September 2 – There has been a further update regarding the malfunction which occured on El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure on Thursday August 25. According to News 12 New Jersey, Six Flags has reported that the “primary and back-up safety systems did their job allowing the train to complete the ride without major incident.”
Six Flags hasn’t commented on the allegations made by an employee to CBS New York saying, “maintenance has known about it, and they have tried fixing it, but for how it is, it just keeps, like… happening. The employees keep telling them that there is an an issue with the pothole and maintenance has done nothing about it.”
It has been confirmed that the section of the track where the malfunction happened which is the location of the “pothole” will be fixed, inspected and signed off before El Toro will reopen. There is currently no exact timeline for how long this will take and when guests will be able to ride El Toro again. We will keep you posted on our news and Facebook page.
August 29 – It has now revealed by an employee at Six Flags Great Adventure that the cause of the malfunction which caused 13 people to be injured on Thursday August 25 was known about by the maintenance team at the park. What we know is that the malfunction was caused by a pothole, a term used to describe a slight separation between the track and wooden structure, towards the end of the ride, before the last turn.
The employee spoke exclusively with CBS New York saying, “maintenance has known about it, and they have tried fixing it, but for how it is, it just keeps, like… happening. The employees keep telling them that there is an an issue with the pothole and maintenance has done nothing about it.”
The only statement Six Flags Great Adventure has released is this, “The ride will remain closed for inspection. Any maintenance and repairs necessary will be completed and the ride will be re-inspected by our engineers, maintenance professionals, our 3rd party independent safety inspectors and the state of NJ prior to re-opening,”
We are not expecting El Toro to be back in action for the rest of the 2022 season and we will update you with any further information as soon as we have it on our news and Facebook page.
August 27 – El Toro is closed at Six Flags Great Adventure after an incident took place on the evening of Thursday August 25, 2022. It will remain closed for the foreseeable future as the cause of the malfunction is being investigated and extensive testing is done.
The Department of Community Affairs were alerted on Thursday evening when witnesses at Six Flags Great Adventure reportedly heard a loud bang followed by seeing the roller coaster jolting. The roller coaster completed its cycle and all guests exited in the normal way.
It has been reported that 13 people in total were injured with five being taken to hospital. Two people sustained back injuries, two were treated for mouth/tongue injuries and one had a neck injury. All people were successfully treated and have now been released from hospital.
We are expecting this investigation to be a lengthy process as was the case last year when El Toro experienced a partial derailment in July 2021 and was subsequently closed for the rest of the 2021 season.
El Toro opened in 2006 and it featured the steepest drop of any wooden roller coaster in the world at the time – an intimidating 76 degrees. It is one of the tallest and fastest rides of its type in the world, hitting a top speed of 70 miles per hour at the base of its 176-foot first drop. Uniquely, a cable lift is used in preference to a chain lift to get to the top of this hill.
Dominating the Plaza Del Carnival area of Six Flags Great Adventure, El Toro features a lengthy 4,400-foot circuit. It is renowned among coaster enthusiasts for the extreme amounts of “airtime” that it offers, and frequently places highly in “world’s best coaster” polls.
We will continue to keep you posted on reviews of the overhauled El Toro and any other updates on our news and Facebook page. Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment below.
