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Thursday, September 6, 2012

Six Flags Great Adventure safari to become ride

WAYNE PARRYJACKSON -- The nosy giraffes, fearless llamas and nonchalant rhinos that motorists have had to maneuver around at a popular New Jersey theme park will be back again next year, but park staff will be doing the driving.

Six Flags Great Adventure said Thursday it is combining its animal safari with its amusement park into a single attraction that it claims will be the world's largest theme park next year, about 10 acres larger than Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando.

"Never before have guests been able to experience a journey so close to that of a true African safari here in the U.S., said John Fitzgerald, the park's president. "By combining the world's most exotic animals with Six Flags' signature entertainment, the Safari Off Road Adventure will be the most incredible animal adventure anywhere. Where else can you ride a wave, go on safari, and soar on world-record breaking coasters?"

The popular drive-thru safari in Jackson Township, about 50 miles southwest of New York City, is ending Sept. 30. Next year, guests will be driven through a revamped safari area on park-provided open-air vehicles. They'll even be able to pet or hand-feed some of the animals, and can ride a zip line above them for an extra fee.

When the current Wild Safari attraction closes its gates for the 2012 season this fall, it will undergo a massive renovation including a redesign of various simulated natural habitats and the creation of Camp Aventura.

Camp Aventura will be the main stop along the off-road excursion. Guests will be able to hand-feed or pet some of the animals, including exotic birds, snakes and other reptiles, rabbits, sheep and potbellied pigs. Guests also will be able to board a zip line in this area.

One of the main differences between the current drive-thru safari and next year's attraction will be the ability to see some of the more popular animals more closely, said park spokeswoman Kristin Siebeneicher. While in their cars, motorists had to stay on the drive-thru safari's paved roads, and often were at a distance from some of the larger or more exotic animals.

Next year, the large open-air trucks, capable of carrying about 30 passengers each, will be able drive closer to where the animals are, she added.

Siebeneicher said the largest theme park in the world currently is Disney's Animal Kingdom, one of four theme parks in Disney World, at 500 acres. Six Flags Great Adventure will be 510, she said.

Six Flags currently provides tours of the safari for an additional price, but the most popular has proven to be its off-road VIP tour for 5 or 6 people. But the $150 price of that trip kept it out of reach for many guests. The 2013 off-road tours are designed to make that level of access more affordable to visitors.

The park's Hurricane Harbor, which will remain as a stand-alone park with a separate admission price, will also add Big Wave Racer, a massive new water slide ride. Some combination plans include tickets for the water park.

Six Flags currently charges $63 for a single-day admission, but is selling season passes for 2013 for the same price through Oct. 28. Ticket prices at the main gate will remain at $63 for a single day next year.

Siebeneicher would not say how much the publicly traded company is spending on the changes.

For park information, visit SixFlags.com/GreatAdventure

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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Bars, restaurants may become horse betting locales

By ANGELA DELLI SANTITRENTON, N.J. -- In a year full of changes for New Jersey's horse racing industry, residents may soon be able to place bets while having a burger and a brew with friends miles away from any track.

A bill allowing some bars and restaurants to install off-track wagering terminals gets simultaneous legislative hearings by Senate and Assembly panels on Thursday.

The measure sets up a pilot program allowing a select number of eating and drinking establishments to install the terminals in the northern half of the state, beginning in northern Ocean County.

Assemblyman John Burzichelli, a South Jersey Democrat who is sponsoring the bill in the Assembly, said it is intended "to allow racing to find a new audience."

The new licenses would supplement the state's earlier efforts to expand horse betting beyond the state's four tracks through off-track wagering parlors. Efforts to establish OTWs have been mixed. Three parlors are up and running - in Vineland, Toms River and Woodbridge - while others have been quashed in the planning stage when residents resisted having a betting parlor built in their neighborhood.

The horse tracks and Atlantic City casinos also have off-track betting facilities.

The number of bars and eateries and the number of terminals permitted under the pilot program are subject to change. The current draft of the bill calls for up to 60 licenses to be granted initially, though the actual number could be lower. A version being discussed by the state's horse owner associations calls for a maximum 20 terminals to be installed at 12 or fewer locations.

The thoroughbred and standardbred horse groups both support the measure.

Installing terminals in bars and restaurants is far cheaper than building an OTW, where startup costs are at least $4 million and can run as high as $12 million.

The New Jersey Racing Commission would oversee the pilot project, granting and renewing licenses every year and evaluating the success of the effort after three years.

Wagering on in-state and out-of-state races would be permitted.

The bill needs legislative approval and the governor's signature to become law. If that doesn't happen on the final voting session on Jan. 9, the bill must be reintroduced and the hearing process begun again after the Legislature reorganizes on Jan. 10.

The potential for wagering in bars and restaurants is one of many horse racing changes coming to the Garden State.

Gov. Chris Christie signed a deal at year's end to privatize racing that ends state subsidies to the tracks. One agreement grants a 30-year lease privatizing operations at Meadowlands Racetrack; the second keeps Monmouth Park running while a private operator is found in time for 2013.

Monmouth Park, a thoroughbred track, is estimated to lose $6 million next summer, the final year of state control.

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