El Toro
El Toro is a prefabricated wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, known for its steep drop, high speed, and strong Golden Ticket Awards rankings.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
El Toro is a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey, United States. Its name means “the bull” in Spanish, reflecting the Mexican and Southwestern visual identity of Plaza del Carnaval, the themed area in which the ride is located. The attraction was designed by German engineer Werner Stengel and manufactured by Intamin, with Rocky Mountain Construction serving as a construction subcontractor. It opened to the public in June 2006 and replaced Viper, a previous roller coaster that had closed after the 2004 season. The ride was developed as part of a wider expansion of Six Flags Great Adventure. The park announced El Toro on September 28, 2005, together with Bugs Bunny National Park and the planned Plaza del Carnaval area. Construction used the existing Viper station and land that had also been associated with Rolling Thunder, another wooden coaster at the park. The lift hill reached its planned height in December 2005, and testing began during Memorial Day weekend in 2006. El Toro had a surprise public opening on June 11, followed by its formal grand opening the next day. El Toro was technologically distinctive when introduced. Although classified as a wooden coaster, it uses Intamin’s prefabricated “Plug and Play” track system rather than conventional track assembled entirely on site. Sections were factory-produced and laser-cut before being installed at the park. This approach enabled faster construction, greater manufacturing precision, and a ride experience often described as unusually smooth for a wooden coaster. El Toro was the first Intamin prefabricated wooden coaster in the United States and one of only a small number of such installations worldwide at the time. The attraction rises approximately 181 feet and features a 176-foot first drop at an angle of 76 degrees. It reaches a maximum speed of approximately 70 miles per hour and has a track length of about 4,400 feet. The layout includes a large cable lift, a 180-degree turn at the summit, multiple camelback hills, banked turns, an ejector-airtime hill, a sequence of twists, and a brake run near the station. Its trains have six cars, with two riders across in three rows per car, for a nominal capacity of 36 riders per train. Two trains are available, each with a decorative bull head on the front car and padded shoulder-level restraints designed to protect riders during high lateral forces. El Toro quickly became one of Six Flags Great Adventure’s signature attractions. At opening, it established records or near-records for the height, speed, drop, and steepness of a wooden roller coaster. Its 76-degree drop was the steepest on a wooden coaster when it debuted, although that record was later surpassed by T Express at Everland in South Korea. In later comparisons, El Toro has continued to rank among the world’s tallest and fastest wooden coasters. It has also received sustained recognition in the annual Golden Ticket Awards published by Amusement Today, including a third-place ranking for Best New Ride of 2006 and repeated top-three placements in the wooden coaster category. The ride has also had significant operational interruptions. A lift-motor malfunction closed it for several weeks in 2013. In June 2021, a train partially derailed after components associated with the rear car’s up-stop wheels moved out of position. Riders exited safely, but the coaster remained closed for most of the season while Intamin investigated. The park was later fined for failing to promptly notify the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. In August 2022, another malfunction near the end of the course caused minor injuries to 14 riders, with five people transported to a hospital. The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs subsequently described the structure as compromised and required further engineering review. After repair and regulatory review, El Toro reopened on June 17, 2023. It remains an operating attraction and one of the…
History
El Toro was conceived as a major replacement for Viper, a roller coaster that operated at Six Flags Great Adventure until the end of the 2004 season. During early 2005, the park removed Viper’s ride components but retained its station, which was later incorporated into El Toro. The new coaster was publicly announced on September 28, 2005, as part of a broader park expansion that included the Mexican-themed Plaza del Carnaval and the children’s Bugs Bunny National Park. The attraction was planned for land that had also been partly occupied by Rolling Thunder, another wooden coaster. Werner Stengel designed the ride and Intamin manufactured it. Construction was supervised by Al Rubano, the park’s construction committee director, while Rocky Mountain Construction assisted Intamin with building the structure. The lift hill reached its full planned height of approximately 188 feet above the surrounding area on December 20, 2005. Testing began around Memorial Day weekend in 2006. El Toro opened unexpectedly to the public on June 11, 2006, and held its grand opening on June 12. The coaster differed from conventional wooden rides through its use of Intamin’s prefabricated “Plug and Play” track. Track sections were produced and precision-cut at a factory before being transported to the park for installation. The method reduced the amount of on-site fabrication and helped shorten construction time. It also produced a track surface and ride behavior that were unusually smooth for a wooden coaster. El Toro became the first Intamin prefabricated wooden coaster in the United States, following related installations such as Colossos at Heide Park, Balder at Liseberg, and T Express at Everland. The finished ride is approximately 181 feet tall, with a 176-foot first drop angled at 76 degrees and a maximum speed of 70 miles per hour. Its approximately 4,400-foot course combines a cable lift, a summit turn, two large camelback hills, banked turns, an ejector-airtime hill, a long twisting section, and smaller hills leading into the brake run. The two six-car trains each seat 36 people and carry a decorative bull-head motif consistent with the attraction’s name and theme. The queue is surrounded by Southwestern-style buildings, wagon-wheel decorations, and Spanish-language poster elements. At its debut, El Toro was promoted and reviewed as a record-setting wooden coaster. Its 76-degree drop was the steepest of any wooden roller coaster at the time, although T Express later surpassed that mark. It also ranked among the tallest, fastest, and longest-dropping wooden coasters in the United States and internationally. Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards placed it third among new rides in 2006, and the ride subsequently maintained a strong reputation in wooden-coaster rankings. El Toro’s operational history has included several significant closures. A lift-motor failure in early August 2013 kept it closed for several weeks. On June 29, 2021, a train partially derailed when the rear car’s up-stop wheels moved out of position. No riders were reported injured, and all were able to leave the train safely. Intamin conducted an investigation, and the ride remained closed for most of the 2021 season. The park was fined $5,000 by New Jersey regulators for not immediately reporting the incident, although the fine was not assessed for the derailment itself. On August 25, 2022, a separate malfunction near the end of the ride caused minor injuries to 14 riders; five were transported to a hospital. The park closed El Toro indefinitely. In September, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs characterized the ride as structurally compromised and initiated an engineering review with Intamin. Six Flags anticipated a return in 2023, and the coaster reopened on June 17 of that year. El Toro continues to function as a signature thrill attraction at Six Flags Great Adventure, although its safety-related closures form an important part of its documented history.
- 2023
Reopening
[1]El Toro reopened on June 17 after repair and engineering review.
- 2022
Injury-causing malfunction
[1]A malfunction injured 14 riders and led to an indefinite closure.
- 2021
Partial derailment
[1]A rear-car wheel assembly moved out of position, causing a partial derailment without reported rider injuries.
- 2006
Public opening
[1]El Toro opened on June 11, with its formal grand opening held on June 12.
- 2006
Golden Ticket Awards recognition
[1]El Toro ranked third in the Best New Ride category.
- 2005
El Toro announced
[1]Six Flags Great Adventure announced El Toro as part of the Plaza del Carnaval expansion.
- 2005
Lift hill topped out
[1]The lift hill reached its planned height on December 20.
- 2004
Viper closes
[1]Viper, the coaster occupying the future El Toro site, closed after the 2004 operating season.
Products and positioning
A record-setting, high-intensity wooden roller coaster positioned as a signature thrill attraction within Six Flags Great Adventure’s Mexican-themed Plaza del Carnaval area.
Wooden roller coaster · 2006
El Toro
The flagship and sole offering associated with this subject is a high-intensity wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure. It uses a prefabricated Intamin track system, rises about 181 feet, drops approximately 176 feet at 76 degrees, reaches about 70 miles per hour, and includes multiple camelback hills, banked turns, airtime elements, and a twisting finale. Its trains seat 36 riders and feature decorative bull heads.
Brand decisions
2022
Indefinite closure after second malfunctionOtherBackground
A malfunction near the end of the ride caused minor injuries to 14 riders.
Action taken
Six Flags closed El Toro pending investigation, repairs, and review by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
Aftermath
Regulators described the coaster as structurally compromised; it later reopened in June 2023.
2021
Post-derailment closure and investigationOtherBackground
A partial derailment occurred after the rear car’s up-stop wheels moved out of position.
Action taken
Six Flags closed the ride for most of the season while Intamin investigated the incident and repairs were undertaken.
Aftermath
Riders exited safely, but the park received a $5,000 fine for delayed regulatory notification.
Regulatory fine. $5,000 (2021)
2005
Development and announcement of El ToroProduct launchBackground
Six Flags Great Adventure needed a major new attraction after Viper closed and planned a broader Mexican-themed expansion.
Action taken
The park announced El Toro as the centerpiece of Plaza del Carnaval and reused the former Viper station as part of the project.
Aftermath
The ride opened in June 2006 and became one of the park’s principal thrill attractions.
Recent events
- 2023
El Toro returns to operation[1]
Other
Following repairs and regulatory review, El Toro reopened to the public on June 17, 2023.
- 2022
El Toro reopens after 2021 investigation[1]
Other
The park announced that the coaster was expected to return for the 2022 season, with reopening scheduled for April 2 after investigation and repair work.
- 2022
Second malfunction causes injuries and indefinite closure[1]
Regulation · Other
A malfunction near the end of the ride on August 25 caused minor injuries to 14 riders, five of whom were taken to a nearby hospital. The attraction was closed pending investigation.
- 2022
New Jersey regulators describe El Toro as structurally compromised[1]
Regulation
In September, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs said the coaster was structurally compromised and announced an engineering review in consultation with Intamin.
- 2021
Partial derailment closes El Toro for the 2021 season[1]
Regulation · Other
On June 29, a train partially derailed after the rear car’s up-stop wheels moved out of position. All riders exited safely, but the ride stayed closed for most of the season while Intamin investigated.
- 2021
Park fined for delayed notification after El Toro incident[1]
Regulation
The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs fined the park $5,000 for failing to immediately report the June derailment-related incident. The fine was not for the accident itself.
- 2013
El Toro closes after lift-motor malfunction[1]
Other
A malfunction involving the lift motor forced the coaster to close for several weeks while the motor was repaired by Intamin’s American operation.
- 2006
El Toro opens at Six Flags Great Adventure[1]
Product launch
The coaster began public operation on June 11, 2006, followed by its formal grand opening on June 12.
- 2005
El Toro announced as part of Six Flags Great Adventure expansion[1]
Product launch
Six Flags Great Adventure announced El Toro together with a new Mexican-themed area called Plaza del Carnaval and the Bugs Bunny National Park children’s area.
Sources1 sources
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