VIP 'Giraffe Encounter' Safari, Faster Ride Lines: 2022 At Six Flags Great Adventure

JACKSON, NJ — Feed the giraffes. Ride Medusa. Feed the passion for fun among your younger thrill-seekers.

These are just a few of the changes parkgoers will find when Six Flags Great Adventure opens for the 2022 season. The Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure is set to open March 19 and the theme park itself is scheduled to open April 2.

After a dozen years of operating as Bizarro, the park's seven-looping roller coaster that opened in 1999 world’s first floorless, top-rail roller coaster is returning to its former name, that of Medusa, the snake-haired Gorgon from Greek mythology. The ride is one of many in the park getting a fresh look, this one with new colors, park officials said.

Rides for the younger set have been undergoing renovations that finish this year, park officials said. The "Jr. Thrillseekers," previously known as the Safari Kids section, will have eight rides for parents to enjoy with their youngsters, including Lil’ Devil Coaster — the kiddie counterpart to Jersey Devil Coaster — and Barnstormer, which returns for 2022.

At the Wild Safari, the park is launching a new "Giraffe Encounter" Safari VIP tour, where park patrons will take an off-road trip in military-style, open-air trucks through seven sections of the Wild Safari. The experience includes the opportunity to hand-feed giraffes at Wild Safari’s Camp Aventura. Tour guests can also meet small exotic animals up-close.

The safari also has welcomed three new giraffe calves, a new male rhinoceros, and an array of spring babies, officials said. The drive-through tour will feature an entirely new audio tour guests can stream from any mobile device and an expanded, three-lane road with 5 miles of new paving.

The park also is adding the Summer Vibes Festival, July 16 to Aug. 14, with a variety of treats, beverages, "eye-popping spectacles," and live entertainment.

In the theme park there is a new option to shorten wait times for rides, with single-rider lines to fill every available seat on some of the park's most popular rides, including the Jersey Devil Coaster, El Toro, Nitro and Medusa.

The FLASH pass system is changing as well, moving away from the physical pass to a mobile phone app. The mobile phone app will allow parkgoers to make their ride reservations through their phones, eliminating time spent picking up the pass and returning it.

Six Flags is making changes to its mobile app to allow parkgoer to add their season passes or memberships to their Google Pay Wallet or Apple Wallet to reduce wait time at the front gate.

"Our largest range of enhancements in nearly five decades will focus on improving our guests’ experience through technology, innovation, and renovation," said John Winkler, Six Flags Great Adventure president.

Other changes at the park include:

• Renovations at Yum Yum Café and Granny’s
• The addition of Fatburger
• Two family restrooms to accommodate the needs of all guests in the Adventure Alley section
• Volta electric vehicle charging stations

There are changes to the season pass program, including the availability of "Junior Passes" for those 42 inches or shorter with the purchase of an Extreme or Ultimate pass.

Six Flags is hiring for the 2022 season. Applicants age 14 and older can text FUN to 732-307-6688 or complete an application at www.sixflagsjobs.com. There are flexible hours, perks, and many jobs start at $15 per hour.

• Candidates can interview the same day they apply
• In-person and video interviews are available
• Training can be completed in person or virtually online

Available Positions:

• Operations: Ride Operations, Park Services (Custodial), Public Safety (Security, EMTs, Loss Prevention)
• In-Park Services: Food and Beverage Operations, Retail, Games
• Guest Experience: Admissions, Guest Relations/VIP Services
• Safari: Gatekeepers, Educators/Guides, CDL Drivers
• Lifeguards
• Wardrobe: Seamstresses, Launderers, and Clerks
• Landscaping