Barrels O' Fun- Best Spinning Coaster in NJ...........until 2027? 🎢 🤔

On July 10th, 2026, I rode the newest roller coaster to open in New Jersey which was Barrels O' Fun at Six Flags Great Adventure. Barrels O' Fun was built in the new Shoreline Pier section at Six Flags Great Adventure, and it is one of two replacement roller coasters for the former Green Lantern Coaster that stood there from 2011, and then suddenly closed in 2024. 

Ride history

Although Barrels O' Fun is new to Six Flags Great Adventure, it’s not a brand-new roller coaster and it has an interesting history. Barrels O' Fun opened originally at Six Flags Great America in Illinois under the name Ragin’ Cajun back in 2004. It operated there for 10 years with yellow track and green supports before being shipped to the now defunct Six Flags America in Maryland. When Six Flags America closed at the end of 2025, many roller coaster enthusiasts speculated that Ragin’ Cajun could potentially be relocated to another park. Around that time, Six Flags Great Adventure announced a few months prior that their new multi-record-breaking coaster codenamed “Project Purple,” would be delayed until 2027, which originally left the park missing two major roller coasters in 2025 and 2026 after Green Lantern and Kingda Ka closed in November 2024. We finally saw the first track pieces for the 2027 Project Purple in March 2026, and at the same time we saw the first track piece for a blue coaster as well. Roller coaster enthusiasts, and myself included, immediately recognized that it was a track piece for a spinning wild mouse coaster, and we knew that Ragin’ Cajun was being moved to Six Flags Great Adventure. This makes it the second wild mouse coaster in the park after the Dark Knight Coaster, the second relocated roller coaster in the same plot of land after the closure of the Great American Scream Machine in 2010 since Green Lantern was also a relocated coaster, and it will most likely not be the last spinning roller coaster to open on the same plot of land in the same park! 

Ride experience

If you have never ridden Barrels O' Fun before, it is a spinning wild mouse coaster with the exact same layout as the former Primeval whirl at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and the former Crazy Mouse at Steel Pier. Once the restraints are checked, the train goes up a 42.7 ft lift hill, and then the train enters a series of sharp turns. All riders experience lots of lateral G-Force, and then the train abruptly goes down a sharp steep hill near where the guests boarded. After the train goes down another sharp hill, the train will once again go through a series of sharp turns, but the train will start spinning. If you are a thrill seeker who wants to experience the most intense spinning on the ride, I recommend having three people in total sit in the car so it is off-balanced and it will allow the train to spin faster. After a series of more drops and spinning, the car will return back to the station, and it will most likely not be facing forward due to the large amount of spinning! 

Prior to riding Barrels O' Fun, I have ridden both the former Primeval Whirl coasters at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the former Crazy Mouse at Steel Pier, and the Tickler at Luna Park. However, I should mention that the Tickler is a slightly different spinning wild mouse coaster built by a different manufacturer. I have heard and seen other YouTubers experience Barrels O' Fun when it was Ragin’ Cajun at Six Flags America, and many people praised the ride for it spinning uncontrollably fast throughout the second half. After my first ride on Barrels O' Fun, I immediately thought the same regarding that it was the most unhinged spinning wild mouse coaster that I had ridden. I couldn’t tell you a more out of control spinning experience I’ve had on any other spinning wild mouse coaster, and I knew that Great Adventure had a great new coaster on its hands. It’s not meant to be a standout attraction in this park, but I view it as a great supporting coaster for families that will eventually convince younger thrill seekers to experience the more intense rides. Overall, I do recommend this roller coaster to thrill seekers, and to anyone who needs to experience an intermediate thrill coaster but be warned about the spinning. I personally love being on an out of control spinning coaster, but this warning is for anyone with a weak stomach. 

Why is it the best spinning coaster until 2027?

I can confidently say that Barrels O' Fun is the best spinning roller coaster in New Jersey until 2027. In case you have not heard the rumors, the “Project Purple” coaster will be a multi record-breaking launch coaster, and it is heavily rumored to feature spinning trains. Six Flags Great Adventure is teasing an announcement for the “Project Purple” coaster on July 28th, 2026, and I cannot wait to learn all the details of their new record-breaking coaster because it will most likely be the tallest and fastest spinning coaster in the world. One could argue it is the spiritual successor to Kingda Ka because of its presence, but this will mainly be a Green Lantern replacement since it does not touch the land formally occupied by Kingda Ka, which means the park could potentially build something else in Kingda Ka’s plot of land. I’m excited for the future at Six Flags Great Adventure, and Barrels O' Fun is only the beginning of their bright future.