Drop Tower (Six Flags)

Drop Zone
Drop Tower at Kings Island
California's Great America
AreaNorCal County Fair
Coordinates37°23′36.72″N 121°58′18.05″W / 37.3935333°N 121.9716806°W / 37.3935333; -121.9716806
StatusOperating
Opening dateMarch 16, 1996 (1996-03-16)
ReplacedAmeri-Go-Round
Canada's Wonderland
AreaMedieval Faire
Coordinates43°50′39.88″N 79°32′34.06″W / 43.8444111°N 79.5427944°W / 43.8444111; -79.5427944
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 4, 1997 (1997-05-04)
Carowinds
AreaThrill Zone
Coordinates35°06′17.72″N 80°56′38.86″W / 35.1049222°N 80.9441278°W / 35.1049222; -80.9441278
StatusClosed
Opening dateMarch 30, 1996 (1996-03-30)
Closing date2024
Kings Dominion
AreaCandy Apple Grove
Coordinates37°50′15.96″N 77°26′38.10″W / 37.8377667°N 77.4439167°W / 37.8377667; -77.4439167
StatusOperating
Opening dateMarch 22, 2003 (2003-03-22)
Kings Island
AreaAction Zone
Coordinates39°20′45.80″N 84°15′59.07″W / 39.3460556°N 84.2664083°W / 39.3460556; -84.2664083
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 21, 1999 (1999-05-21)
Ride statistics
Attraction typeDrop tower
ManufacturerIntamin
ModelGyro Drop, or Giant Drop
Height restriction48 or 54 in (122 or 137 cm)
Previous nameDrop Zone: Stunt Tower
Fast Lane available at all four parks

Drop Tower, formerly known as Drop Zone: Stunt Tower, is the name of four drop tower amusement rides located at Six Flags amusement parks in the United States and Canada. A fifth installation which operated at Carowinds closed after the 2024 season. Although each installation was manufactured by Intamin, they all vary in size and capacity.

History

Prior to their acquisition by Cedar Fair, the five parks owned by Paramount Parks featured a drop tower ride named Drop Zone: Stunt Tower, in reference to the Paramount film of the same name. All were built by Swiss ride manufacturer Intamin, which consist of either Gyro Drop or Giant Drop models. Martin & Vleminckx constructed the Intamin-built Drop Tower at California's Great America[1] on the former site of a very similar ride called "The Edge", which was removed to make room for Drop Zone. With the exception of both Kings Dominion's and Canada's Wonderland's towers, they are located in their park's various backlot themed areas. When Paramount owned and operated the parks, stunt performers performed an action scene periodically near the attraction depicting a performer falling from a platform.[citation needed]

In 2006, Paramount Parks sold their amusement parks to Cedar Fair, which was followed by the removal of Paramount branding from each park. All five attractions were renamed Drop Tower: Scream Zone (commonly shortened to Drop Tower), and the swirl logos associated with each were removed from the rides' signage.

Ride experience

Giant Drop

Drop Tower at Kings Dominion, as viewed from the Eiffel Tower

The three original drop towers, opening in 1996 and 1997 at Carowinds, California's Great America, and Canada's Wonderland are Giant Drop models. They feature either four, five or six cars fitting four people on each one. Wonderland and Great America's models fall at a top speed of 62 mph (100 km/h) and are 227 feet (69 m) tall, while Carowinds' model fell at 56 mph (90 km/h) and is 160 ft (49 m) tall.

All three are painted in rainbow colors with race track decals. When Cedar fair owned the parks in 2006, the one in California was giving a only purple and red scheme. In 2019, Drop Tower at California's Great America was given a brown and green tree-like paint scheme, paying homage to Northern California forests.[2]

Gyro Drop

The two latest drop towers, installed in 1999 at Kings Island and 2003 at Kings Dominion, are Gyro Drop models with one large circular car, reaching speeds of 67 and 72 mph (116 km/h), respectively. Both the Kings Island and Kings Dominion ride claim to be the tallest Gyro Drop towers in the world. Kings Island's tower is measured as the tallest in the world, while Kings Dominion's tower utilizes brakes positioned closer to the ground, producing a longer drop than the tower at Kings Island. The Kings Island variant also spins on the way up, giving riders a view of the whole park.[3]

Locations

The Drop Tower at California's Great America
Park Tower height Drop height* Speed Model Opened Closed Height requirement
Canada's Wonderland 230 feet (70 m) 200 feet (61 m) 62 mph (100 km/h) Giant Drop May 4, 1997[4] 54 in (137 cm)
Carowinds 174 feet (53 m) 160 feet (49 m) 56 mph (90 km/h) Giant Drop March 30, 1996[5] 2024 [6] 54 in (137 cm)
California's Great America 224 feet (68 m) 207 feet (63 m) 62 mph (100 km/h) Giant Drop March 16, 1996[7] 54 in (137 cm)
Kings Dominion 305 feet (93 m) 272 feet (83 m) 72 mph (116 km/h) Ring Drop March 22, 2003 48 in (122 cm)
Kings Island 315 feet (96 m) 264 feet (80 m) 67 mph (108 km/h) Gyro Drop May 21, 1999[8] 48 in (122 cm)
  • *Drop height is only the space between the top of the tower and the braking, what is considered the "freefall" section.

Incidents

Main article: Incidents at Six Flags parks
  • On May 17, 1996, one of the cars on Drop Tower in Carowinds failed to ascend to the top of the tower after the safety control system locked the brakes. Park maintenance was unable to manually release the braking system. Three riders were stranded 160 feet (49 m) in the air for nearly three hours before being rescued.[9]
  • On August 22, 1999, Joshua Smurphat, a 12-year-old boy was killed after falling from the Drop Tower installation at California's Great America. His family claimed the harness was not locked properly and he had a mental disability. An investigation was inconclusive and no charges were filed.[10] Following the incident, the rest of the Drop Tower locations were shut down for inspections.[11]

Records

California Great America's installation was the tallest vertical drop amusement park ride when it opened in 1996.

Preceded by World's Tallest Vertical Drop Ride
1996 		Succeeded by

References

  1. ^ "Intamin". Martin & Vleminckx. Archived from the original on 25 November 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  2. ^ "Fun News Drops Now". California's Great America.
  3. ^ "Drop Tower: Scream Zone at Kings Island Reviews & Info". www.themeparktourist.com. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  4. ^ "Canada Travel Notes". The Ottawa Citizen. April 19, 1997. Retrieved January 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "The ultimate freefall". The Gaffney Ledger. March 22, 1996. Retrieved January 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ https://www.carowinds.com/blog/2024/changes-on-the-horizon-at-carowinds?fbclid=IwY2xjawHPvXBleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHRzXNqjURPIMNwKh0ciDsUL3s5iYrQlnX3s-2_BwVm7DkHfJggxyLii00w_aem_CBQTa9WJUW-F7y1w8nmWGA
  7. ^ "Things (November 23, 1995)". The Hanford Sentinel. November 23, 1995. Retrieved January 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Tresslar, Tim (May 21, 1999). "Happy couples take the plunge". Dayton Daily News. Warren County Bureau. Retrieved January 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "3 park visitors stuck in the 'Zone' 3 hours". The Charlotte Observer. 1996-05-18. p. 37. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  10. ^ "Disabled Boy Dies in Plunge at California Great America". Chicago Tribune. 1999-08-23. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  11. ^ Jameson, Tonya (August 23, 1999). "Carowinds closes popular ride". The Charlotte Observer. Staff Writer. Retrieved January 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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